the.
>> All right.
Good morning And I will now
call the city council meeting
on Monday, JUNE 29th, 2026 to
order Clerk please call
the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
member Campbell Council Member
Whitburn Council Member Foster
Council Member Von Wilpert
Council PRESIDENT Pro Timely I
Apologies Council Member
Campion here Council Member
Moreno Council Member Ellen
Rivera and Council PRESIDENT
LaCava present also attending
the meeting our city Attorney
Heather Ferber, independent
budget analyst Charles Monaco
and myself your city Clerk
Diana Fuentes.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right, thank you.
A quorum is now present.
We will begin this morning with
an invocation by Clark Winters
followed with
the acknowledgment and
the Pledge of Allegiance led by
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
Grant.
Those who hold office in this
city, the spirit of wisdom,
charity and justice that was
steadfast purpose.
They MAY faithfully serve in
their offices to promote
the well-being of all people.
>> We respectfully acknowledge
the nation or the original
inhabitants of the Unceded land
Now known as San Diego.
Despite enduring the horrors of
genocide and colonization,
the community spirit remains
and broken.
We honor the resilience of
their ancestors who fought to
protect their culture and land.
Today they carry their legacy
forward ensuring that their
traditions continue to thrive
in gratitude and strength.
We stand with committed nation
connected to our past and
committed to a thriving future.
Please raise a flag and join me
in the Pledge of Allegiance But
begin I pledge allegiance to
the flag of the United States
of America and to the Republic
for which it stands one nation
under GOD, indivisible with
liberty and justice for all.
>> And with that, Clark, please
go over how the public can
offer their testimony.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I'd like to
highlight the slide on
the screen that reviews how
the public can offer their
public testimony during today's
meeting.
If you are located in person
please complete the speaker
slip.
Please note that no further
in-person testimony will be
taken once the Council begins
virtual testimony for a better
meeting management purposes
each speaker will have one
minute per item per person.
If you're joining us remotely
please be sure to raise your
hand now for closed session
items by pressing Star nine or
the raise your hand icon.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
With that please read
the closed session item into
the record.
Conference with Labor
Negotiators pursuant to
California Government Code
Section 54957.661 City
Designated Management Team
representatives.
>> All right.
And with that please proceed
with public comment.
There is no public comment here
in council chambers going to
those participating remotely.
Blair Beckman, if you can
please limit.
There is one item in the closed
session so you'll have one
minute.
>> Please proceed.
Hi.
Thank you.
Blair Bateman.
At the end of JUNE everyone I
speak to is a JUNE.
I wanted to comment with this
kind of item and the many Union
City government union worker
groups involved with this item
.
It usually signifies some sort
of labor talk but I mean I
guess for this item you're
going to speak specifically to
police actions working with
the police review Commission.
Thanks and good luck.
What You can be decided
together.
We are really trying to build a
future of the police review
body as cold and we keep
sputtering a bit.
I keep praying that the powers
that be in San Diego can be of
some help that you know, I
think we're trying to reach out
and develop a relationship with
esdp.
Good luck with that can mean
and what you talk about and how
it can be an accountable
process for all of us and that
we want to trust each other and
what we talk and work on and
work towards in the street.
That does conclude your time.
8700 If you can please unmute.
There's one item on the agenda
You'll have a minute.
Please proceed.
Oh excuse me Joy.
It's an item.
This is my opinion.
I find it interesting that
the sd pd wants less
surveillance use of
miscellaneous and the public c
p p wants more surveillance use
of investigations.
Therefore in labor negotiations
on proposed operating
procedures the balance
the sweet spot will be what is
enough Investigating and more
is enough Miscellaneous This
will build more trust on
the public officer definition I
am guided by Article b of
the Charter Section 41.2 So
I'll say this It's City Council
call.
Thank you for listening.
It's going to be a beautiful
day and a beautiful week.
Love you all.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on this closed session
agenda.
>> All right.
Thank you, city Clerk.
And with that we will now
recess in the closed session
and reconvene council today at
the.
>> All right.
Good afternoon.
I will now reconvene the city
council meeting on Monday, JUNE
29th, 2026.
Clerk Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell Council Member
Whitburn Council Member Foster
Council Member Von Millburn
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee.
Council Member Can you hear
Council Member present Council
Member Ella Rivera and Council
PRESIDENT Look I also thank
the meeting our Assistant City
Attorney Leslie Fitzgerald,
independent budget analyst
Charles Monica and myself your
city Clerk Diana Fuentes.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right, thank you.
A quorum is now present.
So let's start off by asking is
there any comments from
the mayor's office?
Council members So the attorney
independent journalist or city
clerk I don't see anything.
We'll move right along.
So please go over how
the public can offer their
testimony.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I'd like to
highlight the slide on
the screen that reviews how
the public can offer their
public testimony during this
afternoon's meeting.
The order can be found on
the agenda summary found online
or at the table in the back of
the room.
If you are in person please
complete the speaker slip
located at the entrance of
chambers and bring it to
the front of the room into
the clear box.
Council ambassadors are
available near the entrance of
chambers and can assist with
questions and speakers Lips No
for the person No further
in-person testimony will be
taken once the council begins
Virtual testimony.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you for that.
And as you slowly make your way
down we'll have our deputy
clerk Please introduce item or
one item As for one.
Information guide on group
participation updates and
council determination of
community engagement efforts.
>> All right.
So it looks like you're settled
in.
Please enter your yourself for
the record and let us know what
time you need for your
presentation.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
Good afternoon Council
PRESIDENT And members of
the city council as well as
those joining me here in-person
and online.
My name is Deanna Fuentes and I
am your city clerk.
I will need ten minutes for my
presentation.
All right.
When you're ready.
I'm pleased to present an
overview of the recent
initiatives aimed at expanding
access to local government and
compliance with sb 7o7 which
we've all heard a lot about
today We are reviewing ongoing
proactive efforts to engage
communities that do not
traditionally participate in
our public meetings.
And our core goal is to remove
barriers so that every San
Diego feels empowered to have
their voice heard in this
chamber.
At the heart of this initiative
is our department's mission to
provide accurate information
and maximize public access to
municipal government.
But we know traditional
notification methods don't work
for everyone, especially
historically underserved
populations.
To break those barriers down we
didn't just push information
out.
We went out into the community
to listen.
We conducted four public
listening sessions across
districts one, seven and eight
alongside a citywide survey
that ran from OCTOBER 2025
through MARCH 2026.
We also engage with residents
at community events and
meetings in districts three,
four, eight and nine.
Now what did our residents tell
us?
Their feedback fell into clear
themes They want simpler
website navigation more visible
public comment links plain
language summaries of our
complex agendas and expanded
translation services.
They also noted that a simple
lack of awareness and
scheduling conflicts often
stand in their way.
The direct community feedback
is what helped shape some of
the operational improvements we
are presenting today.
So we took that feedback and
immediately translated it into
action on the language and
digital access front.
Thanks to Panda's web team we
have updated our website to be
week 2.1 compliant for better
ada accessibility.
We also revamped our How to
Participate web page making
critical information available
and not just our primary
alternative languages but
thanks to our city's new auto
translation 22 languages
overall.
You will now see the English
and Spanish language agendas
featured prominently on the San
Diego Doc website as well.
Near the top we have
streamlined our agenda
formatting using plain language
principles and even added a
dedicated legislative glossary
directly onto the council
agenda.
So government jargon isn't a
barrier to participation.
Physically we've distributed
education materials to nearly
200 neighborhood locations over
200 neighborhood locations
including libraries or
recreation centers, cultural
markets and faith based
organizations and other
community hubs such as
laundromats and latrines across
all nine districts.
And looking ahead to JULY or
just next week's agenda,
the council PRESIDENT Is
launching anticipated time
allotments on the agenda to
help residents better plan
their participated around their
participation around busy
schedules.
And we are officially launching
our new organized presentation
process on JULY 1st as adopted
by the city Council.
So what is an organized
presentation?
Let's dive into that new tool.
This is an equity improvement
adopted by the City Council to
empower community groups to be
income and to be in compliance
with sb 707.
Essentially an organized
presentation allows a
coordinated group of two or
more individuals to share a
unified position to speak
collectively or choose a lead
speaker for an allocated block
of time during a meeting.
This applies especially
specifically to discussion or
informational items listed on
our agenda.
This replaces the old
traditional practice of seating
time which was restricted
exclusively to those who could
show up in person.
This new format equitably
extends the exact same
collective presentation
opportunity and the ability to
share PowerPoint presentations
or other ab two hour online and
virtual participants.
Leveling the playing field for
working families or homebound
residents.
We've designed the digital
submission framework to be as
intuitive and streamlined as
possible.
It breaks down into three
simple steps for the community.
Step one is to review
the agenda.
Groups must identify
the specific item number or
numbers that matter to them and
look over the accompanying
staff reports and allocated
time per person for that item
that is listed on the agenda.
Step two is to submit
the online sign up web form.
The group's designated lead
presenter can fill out the form
at San diego.Gov/presentation.
This must be done at least 24
hours in advance of
the scheduled meeting so our
staff can verify the details.
Step three is to submit
materials if the group wants to
use visual or audio aids like a
PowerPoint presentation.
They can upload them right
along with the sign up form or
use a follow up link emailed to
them at sign up.
They must submit them no later
than two hours before
the meeting starts.
So for city council meetings
that would be Monday and
Tuesday depending on when
the item is scheduled for.
To ensure that a seamless user
experience there is a seamless
user experience we've
integrated these tools right
into the active areas of
the city's existing web portal.
When residents visit the main
page San diego.Gov the Council
Agenda portal or the City
Clerk's Web page such as are
main San Diego slash City Clerk
or San Diego slash L.A. Or
the legislative calendar you'll
be able to see it prominently
displayed and updated headers
with direct links to public
comment and organize
presentations.
We have also placed comment
button public comment buttons
and clear links to
the dedicated group
presentations portal.
Right alongside the standard
individual comment options this
means the community member
doesn't have to hunt their
pages of text just to figure
out how to participate.
The link is also going to be on
the agenda just as public
comment is today when the lead
presenter clicks through to San
Diego Taco presentation.
They are brought to this
dedicated sign up interface.
The system prompts them to
select the meet the specific
meeting body which can be
the city council meeting or any
of the committee agendas.
The system then prompts them to
select the specific meeting
date which I'll just give Kevin
a moment to bring up the actual
website.
Here it is.
So you would see meeting body
then click the calendar date
and then input the exact agenda
item number.
You can also input the agenda
item name so that they can give
us a clue as to what item you
are.
If sometimes the item number
gets missed input and it
further has them read and check
the acknowledgments to ensure
everyone understands the rules
of the road and we are managing
expectations.
Most importantly this is where
they enter their participant
roster and upload their slides
behind the scenes.
The entire web interface
features full in translations
appear to match our city's
language access goal ensuring
that language is never a
barrier to organizing a group
presentation.
If you can go up to the top up
Kevin and then just show
the language in the language
translation I can choose any
language and it will change
the form to be in any of the 22
languages there.
Thank you.
We'll go back to our PowerPoint
presentation to keep our
council meetings moving
efficiently.
The program relies on the lead
presenter.
This individual serves as
the primary operational link
between the community group or
a group that wishes to present
and the clerk's office.
The lead presenter handles
the logistics.
They make sure everyone in
their group understands
the rules and they sign off on
the formal ignore
acknowledgments during
registration.
When the agenda item is finally
called in the council chambers
it's the lead presenters job to
verify that all listed members
are present and know how to
raise their hands either
physically here in the room or
digitally on the virtual
meeting platform so that
the clerk can accurately verify
attendance just as we do today
with seating time.
Now to ensure fairness and
transparency for all speakers.
There are established clear
structure time rules.
First a group must have a
minimum of two individuals and
the total speaking time for any
single organized presentation
is capped at 15 minutes to
ensure proper meeting
management.
How do we calculate the time?
We multiply the number of
verified present group speakers
by the standard time allocated
per person for that specific
item on the agenda.
For example, if the item allows
two minutes per person and a
group has four members present
they get an eight minute block
to present.
However there is an attendance
rule Every person listed on
the roster must all be present
either physically or virtually
.
When the item is called if a
registered member is missing
that portion of the time is
forfeited and the group's total
speaking block is reduced
accordingly.
Currently all members of a
group must be present in one
attendance format.
If they are present in a mix
format, the way that the lead
presenter is attending is how
the group's time will be
calculated.
For example if there is a group
before but only two are present
in chambers with the lead
presenter the group will only
get three minutes.
The virtual attendee will not
count towards that time
allocation vice versa if
the lead presenter is virtual
and everyone else is present in
chambers none of their time
will go to them unless they
attend virtually.
We do hope to continue to work
through our rfp process for a
new agenda system and zoom to
find a technology solution to
allow for mixed attendance
without meeting disruption in
the future.
Now equity means meeting our
residents in the language they
are most comfortable using as
well.
In strict alignment our equity
objectives all in structures
and win forms from
the organized presentation
process.
Are fully available in
the cities.
Eight Primary Alternative
Languages of Spanish Chinese
Tagalog Vietnamese Arabic,
Korean, Japanese and Laotian.
I will note that the only
required language per sb 707 is
Spanish Such a bad card.
>> We provide full language
support and if anyone
experiences technical glitches
or has a question while
navigating the portal they can
call or email our staff
directly for real time
assistance.
A new program is only effective
if people actually know it
exists.
To get the word out ahead of
the JULY roll out we are
executing a multichannel
outreach campaign.
This includes distributing
physical fliers to community
homes, pushing targeted notices
through diversity email
listservs and launching a
dedicated social media campaign
across all of the city
channels.
We want to ensure that
the community organization
planning groups and grassroot
coalitions is fully informed
and ready to leverage this
tool.
In conclusion, these actions
represent a sustained,
proactive and good faith
commitment to lowering barriers
and ensuring equitable civic
access.
Perfectly aligning with our
city's strategic core principle
of equity and inclusion based
on the extensive community
listening, the technological
and language upgrades and
the deployment of the new
organized presentation tool
staff confidently believe that
city that the city has made
reasonable efforts to efforts
to invite public participation.
Therefore we respectfully
request that the Council adopt
a resolution finding that
the city of San Diego has made
reasonable efforts to encourage
participation from communities
that do not traditionally
engage in public meetings and
direct our office to continue
implementing these vital
outreach initiatives.
I thank you for your time, your
leadership and your partnership
in making local government more
accessible to all San Diegans.
And a special thank you to
the Panda Web team to the Park
and Rec services director Andy
Field and Misty Jones as well
as Christina Beyeler from adb
who have all been engaging with
me to ensure that we get
the word out as well as each
one of your offices as much as
possible.
I'm happy to answer any
questions you MAY have
regarding the report or
the upcoming rollout of
the organized presentation
process.
Thank you Counsel PRESIDENT And
apologies for the overrun.
All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk 20th for
the presentation.
Deputy Clerk Please proceed
with public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT We received
one request to speak from an
individual in chambers.
Paul Kruger please come
forward.
You'll have two minutes.
I want to thank you And I had
the time seated by Yvonne
Jones.
>> Yvonne Jones Okay.
You'll have four minutes.
Which one?
>> Uh, thank you.
Um, first let me express my and
other people's appreciation for
all the work that the city
clerk did in making sure that
the council is compliant with
seven seven.
I can tell it was a lot of work
And those of us who participate
in this project appreciate it.
Um, but I wanted to use an
opportunity here to focus again
your attention on
the importance of community
planning groups.
And I do understand why we're
moving forward with this But
you'll hear today on the phone
from Victoria Lou Brousseau
who's chair of the cpc and
she's going to speak with you
again about how crucial a role
community planning groups can
play in this process.
Because one thing we know for
sure is that these new rules
are going to be very
complicated for people to
follow.
And that we have already or you
have already at hand a time
tested five decade old process
of community planning groups
that are prepared, shared and
more than able to give you
information about how members
of that community who you don't
hear from often because
unfortunately they don't have
access to a lot of counsel
offices and are not connected
financially and politically.
I have to say about important
things that are happening in
their neighborhoods.
I know that there has been for
the last five years criticism
of community planning groups
and I would like to just urge
you what I think planning group
members urged from
the beginning which is that way
to improve the process is not
to silence or minimize
community planning groups but
to continue to expand their
representation within
communities by making each
council office responsible or
encouraged to work with
community planning groups to
expand notification of
vacancies, to expand
notification of elections so
that more people participate
and to ensure as we have done
and in several planning groups
that these planning groups
represent the community.
The biggest split of course
would be from those who want to
see pretty much unbridled
development in our in our
residential areas and how they
are contrasted with those who
want to take a more measured
and realistic approach.
And we can encourage those who
are underrepresented if they
are to run for election, to win
election and to give a very
Democratic voice to these
meetings.
So in closing, I would just
urge you to please not forgo
the opportunity to embrace
the constructive work that
community planning groups can
do.
And excuse me to listen to
Victoria when she calls in.
She couldn't be here in person
and I know that coming here in
person and speaking to you and
looking at you does have a bit
more of an impact than a
telephone call.
But hers will only be two
minutes and I appreciate your
attention.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude the public
comment hearing Council chamber
is going to those participating
remotely currently have seven
people in the queue.
Kate Callaghan If you can
please unmute.
>> Good afternoon.
When this item came before
the rules Committee several of
us urged that community
planning groups be given a seat
at the table.
Council PRESIDENT LaCava
responded that we were
misunderstood.
Why the council was discussing
community outreach.
There was no misunderstanding.
We rarely have the chance to
point out publicly that
the city has failed a genuine
community engagement.
That's where planning groups
come in.
There are members who are
elected to serve the public
just as all of you were.
For 50 years they have carried
out their mandate to speak for
their communities.
They survived an ugly campaign
by special interest that
questioned their integrity and
their competence.
They emerged stronger.
They continue to represent San
Diegans who are too often
ignored.
If you care about community
engagement please adopt a seat
at the table proposal that
Victoria Brousseau has put
before you.
It is the best way to make sure
that people and communities are
represented and heard and
respected.
Thank you.
Next is 8700 If you can please
unmute.
>> Thank you so much.
I support this resolution on
group participation and
community engagement efforts.
Well there were 15 items in
the backup and the staff report
itself was 12 pages.
What does that tell you?
Great job.
I especially appreciate
the office of the city clerk
Fuentes and the rest of
the team for encouraging
participative participation of
individuals and groups that do
not traditionally participate
in public meetings.
Please speak up and let us hear
your voice.
Is that for me?
I enjoyed hearing your
presentation.
City Clerk 20 For the second
time This is a stellar
initiative and so is your
implementation of it.
I'm so excited about it being
rolled out by the rolling out
on JULY 1st, 2026 with
the first real City Council
meeting on JULY 6th, 2026.
I love the inclusion Inclusion
Public Engagement Guide.
That was a great idea.
Now this is kind of a finishing
paragraph with something else
came up just a few minutes ago
that I want to add to it So
I'll say this first.
Please keep on top of any
additional funding that is
needed over the 2027 budget.
Let's keep this fire burning.
So on the community planning
groups I really haven't looked
at that but I can tell there's
an issue in this passion around
the item including them.
What I just wanted to say is
that I know there's been some
bumpy moments with
the community planning groups
yet I really respect PRESIDENT
Carver's participation you
know, leadership.
He's been very involved with
those groups and he really is
on top of of kind of what's
going on in the future and all
of that.
>> So what I just want your
time has concluded.
John, if you can please unmute
.
>> Hi.
Good afternoon.
Council members.
MISS Congratulations.
This is really amazing work.
It shows a lot of thought.
A lot of the changes that we've
been hoping might be included
in this are really love
the ability to have a group
participate particularly for
those with disabilities who
cannot show up in person.
>> And speaking of which, I was
wondering if there was any
accommodation provided.
I know we give extra time for
folks that have language
barriers or need translation.
I feel that the same courtesy
might want to be extended to
those who have challenges with
speech or speech impediments
that cause them to not be able
to articulate effectively or as
quickly as others.
The other thing I do I'm not
sure if I heard but I would be
nice to read to be able to read
this during neutral position as
opposed to for or against as we
sign in for these things.
I do have one other suggestion
for you but that will take more
time so I'll reach out to you
independently but really great
work.
They're very supportive of
this.
I agree that Thank you Francine
Maxwell if you can please
unmute.
>> There was also the five
minute time where we have five
speakers in the queue.
No additional speakers will be
taken.
>> Francine Maxwell if you can
please.
>> Francine Maxwell
Southeastern San Diego resident
Thank you so much for
the presentation and for
support.
Really want the Council to pay
attention to what the clerk's
office staff does.
You get a glimpse of it but
literally they're not supposed
to work on the weekends with
some of them, do their due
diligence and go ahead and
answer a quick question on
the weekend unlike many of your
offices.
So want to make sure that you
look at the diversity of when
the meetings were very
inclusive.
You did not have to send for
council for someone to consult
from Colorado.
I think we were doing a parking
rack or we were doing something
in water area and we had a
consultant from Colorado.
So I mean literally you have
stars right there in
the building.
I mean some stars are getting
stuck in elevators but they're
still a star.
And again, we want to make sure
that everyone is educated in
and if hopefully the council
people that have newsletters
maybe you'll put a corner
clerk's corner in your
newsletter so that while you're
showing the wonderful events
that you go to the handouts of
resolution and certificates
proclamations that you can help
educate.
Again, education is the key to
everything.
And a Clerks Corner and
everybody's newsletter could
give people insight on how to
work the system, how to
participate more in their city
government because they know
that their voice really counts
and it counts more than just
election season.
So again, thanks to every
person in that works for
the clerk's office.
You are absolutely seen we are
listening to you and we
appreciate your time and your
talent.
Thank you for allowing me to
speak.
Thank you.
Blair Beckman if you can please
unmute.
>> Hi.
Where Beckman are San Diego
Civic Center.
Elevators are starting to
become infamous.
Good luck.
We can fix them elevators soon.
Thanks a lot for this item.
i'm in full agreement with
the public comment.
Stellar was used as a word.
The concept that you are
allowing over 20 plus languages
so people can attend city
council meetings now I was
living in San Diego in 1986
when they created English only
laws that I feel were just
learning to work through San
Diego.
San Jose made really
significant strides in these
sort of efforts in the mid and
the 2015.
You guys are coming through now
San Diego San Jose's practicing
what you're offering now and
thank you immensely.
That means everyone can
participate.
That's an amazing concept we
haven't grasped fully yet.
Good luck.
We can continue to do that.
Thank you for the idea of a
neutral voice to vote to to put
in your speaker card on issues.
I'm totally in favor of that
idea.
I was a bit surprised that, you
know, in working with community
groups a very nice speech
earlier that upon the beginning
public speaker that really
described the importance of
community groups and what our
current community groups are
working towards.
I mean it's a really
participatory process.
It's in our decency while
others have money to accomplish
things, a group of community is
trying to offer ways that
people who don't have
advantages can be a part of
the process and help create our
process.
>> I really hope that can be
better expressed.
It seems like you cut things
short a bit on the Zoom
comments on how to do that Even
better.
Good luck.
You can continue that work and
effort on that on those issues
and San Diego County government
is working on a subcommittee
process They've taken notes
from 707 like the close agenda
item things but they need a bit
of help in how to better
understand its future that
respects privacy.
>> Good luck on those efforts
too.
Thank you Victoria Lorenzo Hey
good afternoon.
Council members Victoria
Brousseau, Chair of the cpc.
First I want to thank Paul for
showing up and giving this
comment since afternoon.
I also want to thank the city
Clerk office for all the great
advancements with
the distributing distributing
information but continue to
encourage the city clerk and
the City council to continue
refining public participation
allowing time to be seated
virtually is a great step
forward.
However, I remain concerned
about the organized
presentation process.
Under the new rules volunteers
must identify speakers gather
commitments to cede time,
collect names and submit those
names in advance.
That adds another level of
coordination for volunteers
that already donate time to
participate.
As for robust public
engagement, I continue to
advocate that the city already
has an established network of
community planning groups made
up of more than 600 elected
volunteers serving San Diego.
If you truly want to strengthen
public engagement, the answer
is to provide with the cpses a
seat at the table and
empowering and promoting
the community elected voices.
This would complement public
comment, not replace it and
provide a predictable way for
organized community voices to
be heard.
As the Planning Department
continues to reduce the role of
CPGs, I urge the City Council
to move in the opposite
direction, strengthen not
diminish the role by formally
providing CPGs and cpc a seat
at the table.
If the city wants stronger
public engagement it should
actively promote community
planning groups as the local
connection between residents
and City Hall.
Not leave each cpg to create
its own public awareness Bpg
and the cpc should be
the city's front door to civic
participation.
Thank you again and I
appreciate the time to speak
with you guys and wish I could
have come down there.
But Scripps Ranches is further
out and takes a lot more time
and a lot more money.
So I speak when I can and I
appreciate you all giving
attention to this matter.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Next is Peggy Walker and then
our final speaker is Natalie
asking Peggy please.
And you.
Thank you.
Good afternoon And thank you
for explaining this process.
All efforts to increase public
participation in the governing
process are good and in
particular allowance for
seeding time for virtual
participants as well as
in-person events.
Solid equity improve allowing
organized virtual presentations
levels the playing field for
all constituents especially
those like myself who observe
and participate in these
meetings from an office finding
it hard to make regular trips
to council chambers and our
mobile society.
Virtual participation deserves
to be recognized as important
as in-person participation.
It has enabled me, for example
and I'm sure others to speak to
issues when I'm not in town or
able to drive downtown.
And finally I attend my
planning group and strongly
support the suggestions earlier
of giving planning groups a
greater seat at the table
including expanding council
member or staff communication
with pages in their districts.
Planning groups are the best
way to strengthen a community
link to the council and they
should be recognized for their
importance.
Thank you.
And our final speaker is
Natalie Raskin.
If you can please unmute and
thank you.
Another thing that I think is
an amazing idea having more
involved and having the ability
.
I think that you're a little
jumbled up here.
You sound a little bit Can you
hear me now?
Yes, that's better.
>> Please proceed.
I'm multitasking.
I think it's it's amazing.
I think having the opportunity
for the community support
involved is the best thing
moving forward in this case.
Feel a little sympathy stomach
for what?
That's what I'm on.
We have to curb that and help
People are also a part of how
we best when we go.
People that forget they are
part of it.
You're cutting out again Not
hear me?
>> You are cutting out again
and we no longer hear you.
I'm sorry.
You can definitely submit
comments to City clerk at San
diego.Gov and those will be
distributed to the council.
But we have lost you.
That does include public
comment here in council
chambers And regarding this
item.
>> All right.
Thank you City Clerk.
This now goes back to
the Council to ratify
the community engagement
process and whether it met
the standards of the 707 In
addition to the extraordinary
training session that the city
clerk gave us on how this new
process will move forward.
So I'll kick things off.
So again, thank you to Clark
Francis and your team for
the work and as well as
the office of the City Attorney
and everybody else that engaged
in this process.
And as a reminder sb 707
requires us to put this in
place by JULY 1st and our very
first council meeting where
we'll be using this new system
will be Monday, JULY sixth.
Sb 7 or 7 has many elements but
for the public the most obvious
will be the changes to
the agenda to comply with
translation requirements and
changes to the public comment
procedures to ensure equal
treatment of in-person and
virtual public commenters.
Virtual public commerce will
now allow seeding of time a
first for the City of San Diego
Sacramento path sb 707 with
good intentions but provided a
very short timeline for
implementation and no
additional resources.
Nevertheless, the City clerk
remain undaunted and was ready
to take up the charge.
And with our current staffing
levels and with technology
currently available in
the marketplace it became clear
that we could not fully
replicate our existing
in-person processes for virtual
participation.
So council had a choice either
eliminate long standing option
of city time during in-person
public comment or reimagine
the process And some
jurisdictions like Encinitas
opted to discontinue seeding
time.
Everyone has limited their own
time and own presentation.
Under my work as Council
PRESIDENT And with
collaboration from City Clerk,
council administration and City
Attorney's Office, we proposed
changes to protect public
participation by reimagining
the process of seeding time.
The changes were tested and
revisited numerous times.
I first brought in Information
Item two Rules Committee in
FEBRUARY with a framework for
these changes.
We listened to feedback from
the public and committee
members and adjusted.
We had originally had different
ideas.
We proposed process only
applying to groups of 5 to 10.
Due to the administrative
burden on the clerk's team
however, with feedback from
Rules Committee and the public
I propose and Council adopted
organize presentation groups
for just two or more people.
Additionally we reduced
the signup time based on public
feedback and I really have to
give thanks to the city clerk
and her team for willingness to
do that.
As you heard in
the presentation, groups can
now sign up 24 hours in advance
of the meeting and provide
their slides or presentation
material if any as late as two
hours before the meeting.
That's a lot of scrambling by
the city clerk's office to
accommodate this further.
Again, based on public feedback
we are keeping the virtual
comment period open for up to
five minutes.
Once in-person comment has
ended in MARCH, Rules Committee
unanimously voted on
the revised proposal and
forwarded to Council
unanimously voted in forwarded
to the Council in APRIL.
Council heard this item on
discussion and also voted
unanimously to support
the changes modifications to
our publicic comment procedures
were done out of a requirement
to comply with state law and
our commitment to preserving
public participation.
This proposal strikes a good
balance between what was
possible with our current
resources and expanding this to
virtual participants.
Under these new procedures
virtual participants can can
now give presentations and as I
mentioned at the onset we will
now put this into practice
after a lot of talk and a lot
of discussion.
Council's JULY 6th hearing will
be the first time we will roll
this out.
>> It MAY all sound a bit
complicated and as you saw
the clerk has put out
information guides and their
office stands ready to help
the public navigate the new
processes.
In closing the council and city
clerk has been a statewide
leader in hosting public
comment both in-person and
virtually And now we're
stepping up to meet the intent
of sb 77 with the resources.
Bottom line we're expanding
opportunities for public
comment and input at our public
hearings.
There MAY be some bumps in
the road but I have no doubt
the clerk's team and council
administration will be up to
the challenge to help us all
through it.
Note They often do as they
always do I should say in every
council and committee hearing.
And so to the comments of a
members of the public, I
certainly appreciate that And
it's important to know that a
seat at the table was not about
public comment.
It was a proposal to have
dedicated time during a council
action.
I think that's a big change
from what our past practices
have been and I wonder about
who we actually limited to.
I was a big believer in
community planning groups.
I'm still a big, big believer
and planning groups as well as
the Community Planners
committee.
But there are so many other
voices that we need to hear
from when we make a decision
and the variety of things that
come across our diocese.
And so we can continue
the conversation about how we
do that.
But I think this is an
important step because I used
to be on the other side of
the dice and I remember how
much time was and how tricky it
was to get people to cede time.
But we see it time and time
again about how it is possible
we're going to roll this out on
JULY 1st for an experience in
JULY 6th and the four meetings
we have in JULY and then we'll
react and possibly pivot.
This is brand new and we know
there MAY be bumps as I said
going forward.
We do appreciate the planning
groups.
I know my colleagues appreciate
the planning groups.
I think we all appreciate
the community planners
committee as well.
Going forward And we want to
hear from them and we want to
hear from every organized group
whether it's neighbors for a
better San Diego live
experience advisors Alliance,
Summit City can you name it
They all have important voices
to contribute to our decision
making process.
And with that I will move
the staff recommendation and
turn it over to my colleagues
for either a second or a
permit.
Councilmember Marino have
second and not seen any other
councilmember mpo.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Just briefly appreciate
the members of the public who
came in and spoke as they did
in Rules Committee a couple of
days ago and just reiterate my
comments from rules out
continually looking for ways to
improve and increase public
participation.
There's no better person in our
city government who does that
than our city clerk.
They want this.
And I just want to say hearing
them loud and clear and
appreciating the role that
species play and finding a
bigger role for them moving
forward continued Well I'm
committed to doing that further
into the future but I am in
support today of the motion.
>> Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
And I forgot to mention with
handy field in the background
the councils are also another
voice in a lot of these
conversations.
So see no one else on
the lights a motion by myself
and a second by COUNCILMAN
Marino to move the staff
recommendation Call the roll
I'm sorry the voting system
Please cast your vote and that
passes unanimously 7 to 0 with
Councilmember Foster and
Councilmember Yvonne Wilbert
Absent.
Thank you, council PRESIDENT
And thank you again.
Thank you city Clerk, for all
the good work you and your
entire team and everyone who
participated in that process.
>> So with that please
introduce item 400 items 400 as
the proposed fiscal year 2027
Recreation Center Fund Budget
Opportunity Fund budget and
2025 complete outside report If
you're here in council chambers
I would like to speak on this
item.
Please be sure to submit your
speakers live to the front of
the room in the clear box And
if you're participating online
or via phone now's the time to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the Raise your
hand I can't thank you Council
for that.
>> All right.
Thank you.
I see a staff is settling in
When you're ready, introduce
yourselves for the record and
let us know how much time you
need.
>> Good afternoon.
Sara Erato, deputy director for
the Parks and Recreation
Department.
With me today is Salome
Martinez, program equity
manager as well as Andy Field
Department director.
Today we have returned to
present updates to the proposed
fiscal year 2027 Recreation
Center Fund and Opportunity
Fund Budget.
We are requesting eight minutes
for the presentation.
All right.
When you're ready.
On JUNE 16th the department
presented the proposed fiscal
year 2027 Recreation Center
Fund an opportunity fund
budgets to council resulting in
concerns raised over how
the Opportunity fund was being
allocated and unspent
Recreation Center fund dances
without the Recreation Council.
The Council returned this item
to staff requesting that
the opportunity fund allocation
for Council District eight
recreation centers be increased
.
The Allocation for Opportunity
Fund be reevaluated using
the assumption that fiscal year
26 budgets were fully expended
to develop a plan for
the expenditure of fund
balances and to evaluate
improvements to the Recreation
Center Fund Budget and
Opportunity Fund allocation
process in the future.
The next few slides we will
review each of these
recommendations.
Recreation centers are
supported through a combination
of funding sources beginning
with the general fund which
provides core operating support
needed to maintain services and
facilities.
In addition to general fund
support we have recreation
center funds that capture
revenues generated through
recreation center operations
and reinvest those funds back
into recreation services.
Opportunity funds provide
additional resources that are
allocated to recreation centers
and underserved communities for
local priorities programs,
equipment and minor maintenance
projects.
We also have actively we
actively pursue grants from
state, federal and private
organizations to support
specific projects, expand
programing and improve
facilities.
Finally, donations from
community members,
organizations and partners help
support programs and projects
beyond what traditional funding
sources MAY provide.
Taking a closer look at
recreation Center funds, there
are several revenue sources
that make up fund balance
program registration fees from
classes, camps, sports leagues
and other recreational
activities.
Our primary source of revenue
for the Recreation Center Fund
revenue is also generated
through permits for use of
recreation buildings, athletic
fields and park facilities for
community events, leagues and
private rentals.
Annually Opportunity Fund
allocations are deposited into
recreation center funds to
support underserved communities
.
Expanding programs, events and
projects identified at
the local level.
Donations made specifically to
a recreation center can also be
deposited into a fund and used
in accordance with the donor
intent.
Together these funding sources
create a diversified funding
model that allows recreation
centers to maintain daily
operations while also investing
in programs, equipment and
facility improvements.
After running the analysis
recommended in item two,
the results remained similar in
the original allocation
disbursement resulting in even
less item Council District
eight receiving an allocation.
With that the Department makes
the following recommendation to
move the budgets forward for f
y 27 expenditure maintain
the previously proposed
opportunity Fund allocations of
555,000 to the 14 recreation
centers originally identified
in the staff report and
Attachment b.
In addition, utilize $100,000
of Future Opportunity Fund
revenue to support expanding
opportunity fund allocations in
the fiscal year 27 budget to
all eight recreation centers in
Council District eight.
This would provide each site an
additional $12,500 for
the fiscal year 27 Recreation
Center Fund budget.
This would be a one time
allocation of future revenues.
Future allocations will follow
a policy methodology at
the time as it existed at
the time of that year's
allocation.
As previously mentioned, staff
assessed the Opportunity Fund
scoring methodology assuming
fiscal year 26 recreation
center fund budgets had been
fully expended.
The analysis found similar
results to the original scores
with Council District eight
allocations changing from two
eligible sites to one.
The findings suggest that
broader elements of
the Opportunity Fund scoring
matrix and methodology work
further evaluation to ensure
the program effectively
advances equity objectives
which the Department is
committed to evaluating prior
to the fy 28 budget cycle.
The third request of a plan to
expend recreation center fund
balances requires a broader
discussion on why fund balance
does exist for the immediate
fiscal year 27 budget proposal.
The Department updated all
eight recreation center fund
budgets in Council District
eight to fully expend fund
balances less $5,000 to support
expanding programs and
maintenance projects.
As for the history of
Recreation Center fund
balances, these were created in
2018 with many balances
starting with funds turned over
by recreation councils who had
been generating balances since
their inception.
To date community recreation
groups continue to provide
recommendations for recreation
center fund expenditures and
often include a reserve of
funds over multiple years to
support larger projects.
In addition, recreation centers
require sufficient fund
balances at the start of
the fiscal year to continue
operating busy summer month
programing and events.
Also being annual revenues and
expenditures can fluctuate
throughout the year.
Having fund balance does
provide a safeguard against
revenue shortfalls preventing
spending and program freezes.
In addition, fund balances MAY
exist as a result of changes to
procurement processes.
Specifically the implementation
of 8339 which requires a more
robust contracting out review
process for example contracting
out review process previously
took 14 to 45 days to process
or as currently underway since
FEBRUARY.
The process takes 90 or more
days depending on
the procurement type.
Also the department continues
to face ongoing challenges
primarily due to staffing
capacity as it relates to
navigating public works and
maintenance contract process
for facility repairs and
improvements as well as
recreation program contracts.
While we have experienced
delays in getting contracts in
place in a timely manner to
support these activities,
the Department continues to
work closely with various city
departments to ensure
compliance with these
requirements and processes.
Lastly, fund balances continue
to grow as the department
continues to leverage nonprofit
partners and grants to fund
specific programs events and
projects.
The supplemental funding
sources have reduced our
reliance on recreation center
funds which allows fund
balances to be preserved for
future community priorities
programs and investments.
A couple of examples include
the Padres Foundation donating
$40,000 to Montgomery Lawler to
cover field renovations that
were previously budgeted for
recreation center fund
expenditure as well as
the ongoing collaboration with
Saanich Parks Foundation,
the County Press Philanthropies
and the private foundation to
support the Parks After Dark
program.
Moving on to the last
recommendation a possible
recreation center Fund and
Opportunity Fund reforms.
The Department is committed
over the upcoming year to work
with eBay office of Race and
Equity to analyze the policy
and allocation process for
improvements and to participate
in the Allocation Process
Committee to achieve a more
equitable distribution of
funding.
We will meet with
the Department of Finance to
evaluate if the funds and both
funds can be folded into
the annual budget development
and monitoring process.
We will improve our
communication efforts with
the Council on the process for
developing Budgets for
Recreation Center Funds and
Opportunity Fund.
And lastly we will boost our
efforts to work closely with
operational staff and
the Council to ensure unspent
fund balances are prioritized
and spent on community
priorities.
The Department updated
attachments to the Recreation
Center Fund budget proposals as
well as Attachment b
Opportunity Fund allocations to
reflect the Increase
Opportunity fund allocations as
increased and increased budgets
for Council District eight.
Without the only changes to
the proposed actions includes
the addition of action for
which authorizes
the appropriation and
expenditure of future revenue
which was intended for fiscal
year 28 allocations as part of
the fiscal year 27 budget and
expenditures specifically
across all eight recreation
center funds in Council
District eight.
The Department recommends
approval of all actions as
proposed to ensure
the Recreation Center Fund
budgets are approved in a
timely manner and are available
for use beginning JULY 1st to
ensure constant continuity of
summer programing.
That concludes my presentation
.
>> Happy to take questions.
All right.
Thanks for the work and thank
you for the presentation.
Clerk Please go to Excuse me
Officer The idea to have some
comments.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Kim Desmond
from our Division of Race and
Equitable provide our comments
.
Good afternoon to your local
members of council.
Our team wanted to outline some
equity implications for this
item including the upcoming
fund budget.
So our team has identified a
couple of equity implications
in the following categories.
One some that were mentioned by
Parks and Rec but one I want to
highlight is the Opportunity
Fund evaluation Committee
scoring matrix process.
We've had several conversations
with Sara and team around this
process in our team is
committed to looking at
the process in ways that we can
make sure that it's more
equitable.
And we plan to work with staff
to look at those improvements
in the 2020 budget cycle.
Some of the preliminary things
that we saw regarding this item
is improvement include
increasing transparency so that
we the recreation fund we can
make sure that the money is
being set aside in retained in
the fund balance for
the improve to other areas is
that it's clear that those
items are being used for and
why it's set aside.
Other opportunities includes
looking at the actual
opportunity fund scoring matrix
to explore ways in which
the matrix can be changed and
we can examine and critique
those factors.
Factors of 21 include if
the location is in a community
concern and or it is adjacent
to a pool.
So our team is committed to
looking at those factors in
partnership with Parks and Rec.
Last but not least in this
particular category we
recommended the department
determine which individuals to
be present to evaluate
the Allocation of Opportunity
Fund which is also charged with
providing recommendations.
Parks and Rec have invited our
team to sit on this committee
and so we wanted to just
highlight that part as looking
at who should be on
the committee and we accept
the invite from Parks and Rec
to the consideration of them.
I'll say this really quickly is
that we know that not all rec
centers are created equally so
council MAY want to consider
how facility limitations
including side and upper upper
recent offers of operational
hours impact access to activity
for stakeholders.
So we recommend that Parks and
Rec could identify a process to
provide stakeholders with
access information if their
service is not provided at
their location.
So essentially if it's not
provided there where else can
they go?
Last but not least regarding
the subsidized contracts
council MAY want to consider
and monitor the increase in
programs and activities in
septa as it pertains to working
with those provider to offer
more activity and services.
This includes the number of
clear tangible programs and
activities.
The call from our team is
aligned to address any
questions as well as Celina is
behind me.
We look forward to answering
any other questions regarding
our suggestions for this fund.
>> All right.
Thank you for those comments.
Always helpful in
the conversation.
>> Now let's go to public
comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Evelyn Smith
if you can please come forward
after that is allegedly under.
>> You will have two minutes
and Smith representative day
four on the City Parks and Rec
board and I'm just here
requesting that these funds
remain in the hands of
the parks and Rec department
because the parks and rec
groups and the owners are
committed to do really need
these funds.
Thank you.
Thank you for the comments
Allegedly Audra, you you guys
thought I wasn't going to show
up today.
I bet would have been good.
I think you are right.
Yes.
So my concern is what's
happening at these rec centers
and the parks and the safety of
the children and really anybody
that participates in engaging
in those activities.
>> And as you're talking about
Parks after Dark program like
that's a little scary.
We don't have lights at parks
rubble.
People have been dying in your
parks.
I mean murdered it you know
Linda Vista skate park or being
brutally assaulted by officers
I mean you don't really care
because it doesn't really
affect you but it's very
detrimental what's happening at
these places And these funds
should be spent for safety and
things like that to make sure
there's lighting because people
are getting raped.
These are like perfect places
when you're a rapist or
something like that.
If they're dark and there's
secluded areas to go and take
advantage of somebody and it's
like you know we can sit here
and virtue signal like what
we're really doing is bringing
forward something in
the community which you are But
if you're not ensuring that
it's a safe place to go to then
it's like where's our money
really being spent?
I mean you could sit there and
have swings all day long but if
children are being raped under
the swings I mean how does that
help?
So I just feel like you guys
need to be more you know,
concerned about people's public
safety and you know, the fact
that, you know, you can just be
going and enjoying the park and
you know, an officer from
the San Diego Police Department
can just come up and like
basically slam your face into
the ground.
You know, and brutally assault
you and then you get charged
with something.
So it's just interesting
the things that take place that
isn't really of concern to
people who you know, those are
your constituents like Raul
Campo.
But you know, that's just
the way the business goes.
Good job involved Suzy or
Gonzalez Walden people you
can't read the person Sage
Thank you.
You'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
Hi, my name is Sage Consultant.
Well, I am the chair of Choice
Valley Community Planning
Group.
I'm speaking to this in favor
because obviously we all need
more money for Parks and Rec.
One of the issues that our
community has is that finding
what the metric is for each
district for parks has been
difficult to figure out.
So I have brought you each
something to look at.
This is called the Trust for
Public Land.
This is a nationwide
organization that that really
just does a metric And in San
Diego we rate pretty low for
equity.
So you know, the other piece is
next week we're speaking over
radio towers and this is a 31
acre park.
I know this is not on
the agenda but I am And I
really all the things that are
happening with the presentation
is this is going to be a really
big deal for our community.
So I would like you all to look
at this Public safety is
imperative in our community And
if you consider public safety
being clean air places to play,
things for children to do and
ways to invest in our children
in our community this is this
is for for our community really
important.
I find it interesting my
council member isn't here today
and this is what we're talking
about.
>> So thank you.
>> Shut up here.
Thank you.
We'll pick that up.
Paul, are you speaking to this
item?
Paul Kruger Are you speaking to
this item?
Okay.
Just wanted to make sure before
I went to virtual public
comment I'm sorry the five
minute timer going to those
participating virtually we have
six speakers in the queue 9885
If you can please unmute line
85I can't imagine for you.
>> There you go.
Hi.
Hi there I am.
My name is Joanne Paquette.
I am the secretary and you
officer for Lucky Waller our
Little League that is located
at Montgomery Water Park.
I have to just say that we're
really sad to hear that our
district is being passed up
again this year for the second
time And it's really important
for us not to leave money on
the table especially when a
park with McMurry Waller has so
many things that it needs fix
and we have a playground that
is not ada compliant.
We have parking lots that have
no lights to them or people
can't get broken into them.
We had the Padres come out last
year and yes they donated
$40,000 to have our fields
flattened and modeled so that
our kids could play on this
field.
And this is the first time
since 1969 that these bills are
fixed and we cannot depend on
the charity of organizations to
come in and step in to take
care of what being neglected.
And on top of that, yes, they
came in and they fix those
fields for us but then Parks
and Rec allowed football and
soccer to play on those fields
and so we had to spend
thousands of dollars this year
to fix them again so that they
can be playable for our players
this spring And the season is
almost over and we're going to
have to hand it back over to
football and soccer again.
It is just going to happen
again.
The community has been stepping
up to make sure that our parks
look good but it's not enough
and our kids deserve better and
we deserve the funding and
the funding that's left over
the 300,000 is not even enough
to start working to bring
Montgomery Waller into
compliance.
The playgrounds need to be
fixed.
The lights need to be fixed.
We don't have a scoreboard for
our kids.
We don't have a dog park.
It's not safe.
Our bathrooms are not great.
It's just it's not okay that
every year we get passed up and
our families deserve better.
This is something that I live
in the community, something I
was born there and this is
something that we've been
fighting for every year that I
can remember.
My parents fought for life in
the parking lot.
I'm almost 40 years old and we
still don't have them.
We cannot leave money on
the table anymore and we need
to look at these parks and
these organized actions and
these would be places that kids
can go and have fun in a safe
manner and give them
the opportunity to improve and
to grow because your time has
concluded Becky Rapp is
the next speaker.
>> If you can please unmute.
>> Yes, good afternoon.
My name is Becky Rapp and it's
unfortunate that we are to
the point that we have to
utilize opportunity funds to
help fund parks and rec
centers.
Our communities are being asked
to do more with limited
resources while families
continue to rely on these types
of recreation programs
especially now I do appreciate
the city's commitment to
expanding the recreational
opportunities but we also need
to look at opportunities to
generate additional revenue
without asking taxpayers to pay
more.
One opportunity is stronger
enforcement of laws that
already exist across San Diego
illegal flavored tobacco
products, intoxicating hemp
products and other prohibited
items continue to be sold
openly, often and often in
storefront windows near
neighborhoods and recreation
centers.
These illegal sales undermine
public health, increase youth
exposure and create unnecessary
burdens on our communities.
Stronger enforcement will not
only protect children and
families, it could also
generate substantial revenue
through penalties, fines and
enforcement actions.
>> Those funds could be
reinvested directly into our
recreation system.
Imagine what that could mean.
Recreation centers could expand
afterschool and summer programs
parks that currently lack
adequate lighting could finally
be lit up making them safer and
more accessible during
the evening hours.
Facilities could receive long
overdue maintenance and
neighborhoods with the greatest
needs could benefit from
additional recreational
activities without relying
solely on limited general fund
dollars.
I just encourage the city to
make stronger enforcement of
existing laws as part of its
long term funding strategy for
parks and Rec.
>> Let's put it back into
the community.
Thank you.
Thank you Blair Beakman If you
can please unmute.
>> All right.
Thank you.
We're Beakman.
I think this is about the third
time this item has been here at
Council in committee in
the past month and a half.
Thank you.
It's interesting for items to
come back.
I thought additional funding it
was described today that
additional funding is going to
be going to District eight.
So good luck how that can go to
the park that was described as
needing help.
>> And you know as this is
the third time with this item,
I hope my ideas can be very
much a part of this process in
how we talk about the future of
our tech accountability for
the future of these rec centers
and park systems in San Diego.
It sounds like there's going to
be a lot of new aspects of
surveillance tech coming up and
I think we should be well
prepared that we not only ask
for good surveillance tech but
that we ask for good policies
with the tech.
I think I think we have to
start moving past
the euphemisms of sports
utility lighting and learn to
speak directly to the concept
of biometric technology as an
example and that we're not
afraid to have that subject be
a regular talking point in our
community dialog.
We don't know how to do that
yet but yet biometric tech was
all around us during the era of
covid and in our post-covid era
and yet we don't know how to
practice having that
conversation openly yet.
It's really important to say
that instead of sports utility
lighting and I hope we make
the efforts to do that.
And for all the clamor to
create new tech we have to have
we have that has to be equally
balanced with the concepts of
good policy practices.
And that's all I ask for.
You know, in this sort of
instance, you know how we can
limit our tech is important and
it can do that serve the same
purposes.
But having the good policies in
place just adds that we're
doing things well.
We're doing it responsibly and
holistically.
I mean that's how you build
the park community future and I
hope you take to heart.
Creating good tech policies
with our future tech in our
parks Your time has concluded
and so has the five minute
timer.
We have three speakers in
the queue with their hands
raised.
No additional speakers will be
taken at 700 If you can please
unmute.
Thank you Joy.
Assume that I support this
movement of funds to see
the eight Councilmember Moreno
Ward I think it was just a week
or two ago and I listened so I
strongly support it.
I really liked under the in
the staff report under equal
opportunity contracting info
the way they spelled it out
the whole the steps in
the unfoldment of the process
it just got me to a big yes
real fast.
So if you haven't read that
section I highly recommend send
it.
So and then my next comment is
on the c r g the community
recreation groups Do we know
this is not a judgment?
I'm a little bit in the past
with the recreation councils It
was very bumpy the way it ended
up but do we have enough
transparency monitoring and
oversight of the influence on
funds and so forth The movement
to influence
the recommendations from the c
r g groups and how that is all
handled.
Thank you Kim Desmond because
I'm really excited about you
being called to do work on
the spend down and the scoring
metrics.
Recent Equity Department is
really really needed on that
and you're just going to come
forward with your greatness and
you're going to make it happen.
So I love the Race and Equity
Department.
I was against it sort of it
first being part of the idea.
But you began beginning to be
even better and better and
greater and greater heroes for
me on this important item.
And then of course you MAY have
to cut me off, sweetie.
No grants in a nine, no grants
and your time is concluded.
Francine Maxwell if you can
please unmute Francine Maxwell
Southeastern San Diego resident
Thank you so much for
the presentation and full
support of their request
wanting to make sure that
people go and make sure that
the studies that were done in
earlier years are pulled off
the shelf before we decide to
do another one because
the things that were found
remain the same.
So before we spend more money
on disparities steady let's
make sure that we go to
the shelves and pull off
the programing equity study
within the parking rec desist
system and we MAY need to
expand his board another seat
at the table where it comes
from the community Voice Not
people that are paid where
they're going to check a box
and pretty much be able to pull
out what the community has been
knowing for years.
We knew that there were issues
with the hiring that our panels
had relatives on it and so
given that the department knows
it we don't need to sit and
continue to put committees
together and put people that
are going to sit there and talk
about it and not change
the narrative.
So again, looking forward to
more transparency and oversight
within our parking rec.
The system making sure that
when people are turned out they
are thoughtfully removed so
that things can grow.
Also remember that it's
the council office that directs
things that they want to as
well and people that are in
the areas of concern sometimes
you remain the areas of concern
because you need to look at
what's going on behind
the doors in the council office
because our park was stacked to
get a a plaza when we could
have pushed harder and got a
whole skate park across
the street on some land that we
own, all those people are gone.
They attended the meeting and
the park system knew that they
were going to do it and so did
the council office and that
doesn't bode well.
That concludes your time and
our final speakers Peggy Walker
Thank you again As a youth
mentor I support this with a
focus on safety and oversight.
It's important to provide
greater availability of healthy
recreational choices in a safe
place for children, especially
in underserved communities.
This is important at a time
when youth are bombarded with
so many diverse and not always
healthy way to spend their time
when case in point
the overwhelming draft So some
media another scores of studies
have shown that when kids live
near dispensaries for example
they are more likely to use
marijuana and as a result have
higher rates of psychosis.
There is a greater prevalence
of dispensary dispensaries and
higher rates of underage use
marijuana use in underserved
communities.
So we need to counterbalance
that with safe and equitable
year round recreational
opportunities for healthy youth
activities.
The interaction and engagement
Thank you again.
Thank you.
And that concludes public
comment on this item.
>> All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk.
An item like this I would
normally go to the chair of
the Community Neighborhood
services but we're here a
second time because of issues
raised by District eight So I'm
going to start out with council
member Moreno.
>> Thank you.
I want to thank our Parks and
Rec staff and
the administration for your
work on this revision and also
to my colleagues for
understanding my concerns on
this item.
When it was heard last week at
Council the opportunity Fund is
a special revenue fund created
by the Parks and Rec Department
to reduce historical
disparities in recreation
programing a goal that I
strongly support In 2021
the City of San Diego released
their Park Master Plan and
the Performance Audit of Equity
and Recreation programing both
identified inequities related
to park access and recreation
programing across the city.
The performance audit
recommendation recommendations
six states that the Park and
Rec Department should a
developed document and
implement a plan for directing
resources including any equity
based funding towards specific
steps to eliminate identified
disparities.
The Opportunity Fund was
created in direct response to
that recommendation and it's
deeply troubling that the fund
itself is now reproducing
the disparities it was designed
to fix sit Since its inception
in fiscal year 24, District
eight has consistently received
a disproportionately low share
of opportunity fund allocations
compared to other historically
underserved districts.
The numbers speak for
themselves in fiscal year 24,
District eight received 9% of
the total opportunity Fund
allocation In fiscal year 25,
District eight got 24% in
fiscal year 26 District eight
got 12% Fiscal year 27 we're
getting 26% and this is only
after this revision and only
with additional funds Over four
years District eight has
averaged roughly 18% of a fund
explicitly designed to address
underserved communities.
To me that's a continuation of
the same neglect these funds
were created for and it's
unacceptable.
>> I also want to address
the issue of unspent rec center
funds.
When this item was first
brought forward, District eight
had $1.2 million in funds and
it was these exact funds that
are obstructing my park and
RECs from being considered for
the opportunity fund Yet
the money has not been spent.
It was those unspent funds that
disqualified our parks from
being considered for
opportunity fund dollars.
I stated last time and I still
have it I have an invoice for
$34,000 for a scoreboard that
Little League families have
advocated for years.
Montgomery Waller Park has
$302,000 in identified needs
with funds that have not been
spent.
The San Diego American Memorial
Park Little League plays on
baseball fields that need laser
leveling clay for the bases
proper fencing to allow for
landscape maintenance and
additional shading In this
revision memorial park will not
will now receive some funds but
absolutely not enough to
address the full scope of what
the fields need.
My residents deserve the same
quality of parks and recreation
programs that other that other
communities across this city
take for granted.
The opportunity funds exist
precisely to close the gap and
right now it's falling short of
that promise for District
eight.
I disagree with the historical
trajectory of priority
prioritization that has been
presented because District
eight deserves more.
I do want to thank our Chief of
race and equity Can Kim Desmond
and I look forward I look
forward to looking into
the process that these
opportunity funds get allocated
.
The committee members that are
sitting on the committee that
gets to decide how these funds
are being spent which were to
items that I brought up at
the last meeting.
When are you proposing to come
back to this Council with your
findings?
>> So I think we can sketch out
a timeline what Parks and Rec
for f y 28 as looking at some
of these factors I think it
deserves some critique to make
sure we're getting it right so
we can come back with a
timeline when we get with Parks
and Rec If that suffices.
Okay so we don't know yet.
It could be a month.
It could be seven months.
That's right.
It's up to the administration.
>> Councilmember I think that's
fair.
The timeline is somewhat
indeterminate right now.
However, we anticipate that an
updated process including
members of the Opportunity Fund
kind of committee would be in
place in time for development
of the fy 28 budget.
So I know that you will not be
sitting here next year but
whoever succeeds you should
have the benefit of having some
folks from the draft team
sitting on that committee when
they see their fy 28 numbers
presented to you.
>> Wonderful.
And so I would just like to
read into the record
the committee member titles We
and these are all city of San
Diego associate manager analyst
a district manager, an area
manager, a senior management
analyst supervising rec
specialist, a senior park
ranger and I think recently
added a philanthropic public
partner into that.
These are the folks that get to
decide how much funding is
being disbursed And obviously
the city council puts
the parameters as to what is
puts the approves
the parameters So definitely
something that needs to be
looked at with a finer lens.
Also Council Councilmember
Foster at the last meeting
brought up the fact that he
would wanted to see a funding
allocations for these park and
RECs at during the budget
process which I very much
welcome.
So with that I would like to
make an amendment to
the staff's recommendation if I
could find it here.
So in section four and I'll
read this authorize the chief
financial Officer to
appropriate and expend 100,000
from the surf cubs Ports llc
percentage ground lease
payments scheduled for delivery
into the Opportunity Fund for
fiscal year 2028 Disbursement
and redirect it to the fiscal
year 2027 opportunity budget to
be allocated to Montgomery
Waller Little League for their
scoreboard at $34,000 and
allocate the remainder all
across District eight.
>> Let me see Scuse me Sorry
once again to allocate to
Montgomery Waller Little League
for their scoreboard at $34,000
and allocate evenly.
>> Sorry can't even read my own
notes to allocate evenly across
all eight city rec centers and
Council District eight at
the amount of 8250 each and
that will be my modification to
the motion And I was I and I
apologize I do want to thank my
colleague Council member Shani
Leo Rivera for proposing
the $100,000 from the Surf Club
Boards llc percentage ground
lease payment.
Thank you for that
recommendation.
I will note that District four
and District nine are receiving
$250,000 of opportunity funds
which they 1,000% deserve.
District eight is only getting
$150,000 this year and that's
because of the $100,000 that my
colleague was able to identify.
If not, we would only be
getting $54,000.
It's my district, my community,
very underserved community and
I will always fight tooth and
nail to make sure that we get
our fair share.
So I hope to see if I I'll
finish up next year as a member
of the public I hope to see
the opportunity funds being
dispersed across all very much
needed communities evenly and
proportionately as well
including Linda Vista.
I will out of that one So thank
you all right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Moreno.
So we have a motion as amended
and we'll get that up on
the screen.
>> I don't maybe hard copies We
didn't get an email so yeah
we'll get through All council
members know what the amended
motion is.
>> So with that we'll go to
Council Member Campbell.
The Chair Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Council PRESIDENT There's
34,000 for the scoreboard.
Is that part of the 12,500 each
for the eight rec center areas
in District eight or is that an
additional funding from
somewhere else?
Thank you for the question.
I do want to clarify since you
made the motion that as part of
the budget revision that we did
for Montgomery Waller we did
incorporate the repairs to
the scoreboard as part of their
budget So it has already
included utilize in their
recreation center fund budgets
just in case that helps with
your amendment.
But the 34,000 is separate than
the 12,500 that we originally
recommended for each of the rec
centers and Council District
eight That is incorrect.
Councilmember Campbell our
colleague Shani Lowe Rivera
discovered that we could
potentially put $100,000 of
surf club funding So out of
those $100,000 the staff is
proposing to divide up evenly
into eight council into eight
Council District eight parking
Rex Right for a total of about
12,500.
What I'm proposing is we take
that 100,000 we fund the 34,000
for that.
So I'm not taking money out of
anywhere else than what is
already being proposed Out of
the 100,000 we take 34 and we
put it towards the scoreboard
at Montgomery Waller and
the remainder which is roughly
64,000 which equates to about
8250 divided up to the eight.
So nothing there's no extra
money coming out of anywhere.
It's the 100,000 that clarifies
it for me.
Is that your understanding?
Good afternoon Andy Field Parks
and Recreation Director Yes, we
understand we take the first
portion of 100,000 towards
the scoreboard then divide
the remainder across the eight
sites We got you.
No problem.
Thank you.
Okay, Thanks you guys.
I understand completely and I'm
happy to second the motion.
>> All right.
We have a motion by council
member Moreno Marina which was
an amendment amended to
the staff recommendation and a
second by Councilmember
Campbell.
We'll go next to council member
Eli Rivera.
All right.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
Vic Sayre for the presentation
and all that work for Parks and
Rec.
I appreciate the work that
Councilmember Moreno did
between last evening and this
meeting in partnership with
Parks and Rec and the Mayor's
office to get to where we are
today.
I think this is an important
conversation about the way that
the Opportunity Fund is working
in practice Now the idea behind
it is incredibly important and
that it starts with recognizing
that there are rec centers in
San Diego that have not been
given the opportunity to
succeed and that we have a
system in place that made it
more and more difficult for
them to ever catch up.
It's that that is reminiscent
of the way many things work in
our city and opportunity And i
think is it is a really smart
idea And now it's about making
sure that the idea aligns with
the vision that we have for our
our rec centers and the goals
of this specific program.
So if I really do believe that
if we properly frame
the opportunity fund we can
figure out the ways to to
modify it in a way that
achieves those goals.
There's going to need to be
some rightsizing and some
improvements, some recognition
that the way that things are
being operationalized on
the ground impacts ability for
this fund to up to to work as
intended.
But all of that doesn't mean
that the opportunity in itself
it isn't important.
I think it's important for
members of the public to
recognize I also did want to
just make note that
Councilmember Foster is on
official business right now.
He is not shy about ensuring
that District four gets its
fair share and was an important
part of the conversation to
ensure that District four
wasn't left out of
the conversation as this
opportunity fund as
the decisions were being made
and that they didn't get any
less than what they were
deserving of just because we
heard some some comments and I
want to make sure that was on
the record as well.
The last thing I wanted to say
is that I think the $100,000
that we were able to to deploy
here to address some of
Councilmember Moreno's concerns
and the direct result of this
this council demanding more and
demanding better from those who
have the ability to pay more
and treat the city better.
It's an example of us leaning
into that and then deploying
that additional revenue in a
way that serves a part of
the city that's been the most
left behind over the years.
And you know in this case it's
just $100,000.
So not transformational from a
city budget perspective but it
also demonstrates that every
single dollar that we get in
that sort of way matters that
the $34,000 that'll be deployed
for the scoreboard is going to
make a margin.
A very big difference for
the families who are at
Montgomery Waller and we can't
lose sight of that.
That's just my way of saying
that when we are entering into
negotiations with any party
with the city we need to
squeeze as much out as possible
because on the other end of
that equation are families who
will benefit from that And in
this case it's $100,000 It'll
feed into the opportunity fund
and those hundred thousand
dollars are being deployed to
benefit the residents of
District eight And in other
circumstances there are similar
positive outcomes that can be
derived from us simply
demanding more when we are in
negotiations especially with
very wealthy entities that are
making a lot of money from
their from from the agreements
that they have from the city.
So I'm glad that this is being
this is being able to be
deployed in this way But we're
in a better place than we were
a couple of weeks ago.
I appreciate the work that was
done to get to this place and
look forward to more
opportunities to make sure that
we're that we're doing right by
residents who were not done
right by in the past.
>> And that will conclude my
comments.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Rivera
I'll just out of course be
supportive of this and I
appreciate Park and Rec in
everyone who pivoted after
the input from the first
meeting of this.
You did an awful lot of work on
that and have reevaluated a lot
of your processes.
There's more work to be done as
you gain this And what I want
to focus on something that I
think Councilmember Foster
pointed out about having this
information not as a separate
item after the budget is
already approved but part and
parcel of the budget because
today we have very little room.
The opportunity fund is x
dollars and the question is how
are you going to divvy up those
x dollars if count if
Councilmember El Overhead
secured that hundred thousand
it would have been a much
different very painful
conversation today.
So having that information
about even if it's only draft
in terms of the rec center fund
the opportunity fund during
the budget conversations
because a few dollars every
dollar is painful that we don't
give to Parks and Rec given how
much you have to do and how
much is on your plate but a few
dollars taken from that
operating budget for dedicated
funds for individual rec
centers and under resourced
communities could have made a
heck of a lot of difference.
But we didn't know we didn't
have those tools available to
us.
So one more thing to add to
your list of how we do f y 28
differently and maybe have you
at least give us
the opportunity or council
the opportunity that more
flexibility and weigh the pros
and cons to benefits and
the cost of any of those
decisions going forward.
So thank you for your good work
.
Thank you for that And again
I'll throw in a to rec centers
rec councils in district one
through in money towards that
opportunity fund beyond
the regular process and oh that
you created the opportunity to
find out of scratch and maybe
this is a good chance to kind
of revisit the thinking that
went into the opportunity funds
now that we've got a few years
under our belt.
So anyway, thank you.
Thank you to COUNCILMAN Moreno
and everybody who weighed in
last time and weighed in this
afternoon and so that we do
have the motion that is now up
on the screen I think you heard
it said out loud a couple of
times.
So the key being directing
34,000 directly to
the Montgomery Recreation
Center for the scoreboard and
spreading the remainder of that
100,000 evenly across all eight
recreation centers and council
district in the $8,250 each.
So with that not to anybody
else in life, please call
the roll.
>> That's right the voting
system Please cast your vote
That passes unanimously 7 to 0
with Councilmember Foster and
Councilmember a little bit
absent.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Clerk.
So with that for the next two
items we're going to update
the order.
We will first hear the item two
establish the Affordable
Housing Preservation Fund which
is item one as the housing
authority.
Then we will hear item 402 from
the city Planning Department as
the City Council upon inclusion
of those two items we will
Return of Housing Authority to
continue with today's business
.
So with that we will now
adjourn as the City Council and
convene as a special housing
Authority meeting Clerk Please
introduce Housing Authority
Item ha1 of you council
PRESIDENT Item one is to
establish an affordable housing
preservation Fund and amend
the San Diego Housing
Commission and Fiscal Year 2026
budget to accept City of San
Diego Neighborhood Enhancement
fee funds for affordable
housing preservation.
If you'd like to speak on this
item please be sure to submit
the speaker up to the front of
the room in the clear box Or if
you're participating remotely
please be sure to raise your
hand by pressing Star nine or
the raise your hand icon.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you so staff, please
introduce yourself for
the record and let us know how
much time you need.
>> Good afternoon, Councilor
Senior Vice PRESIDENT, Real
estate for Senior Housing
Commission minutes, please.
>> All right, When you're ready
you staff is recommending that
the housing authority of
the city of San Diego authorize
a senior housing commission to
establish an affordable housing
preservation fund and amend
the Housing Commission's fiscal
year 2026 budget to accept
$5,913,554 instead of sending
only renouncing funds that will
be transferred from the city of
San Diego to the Housing
Commission to be deposited into
the Housing Commission's
Affordable Housing Preservation
Fund.
These are crucial, crucial next
steps to help preserve
the affordable rental homes
citywide.
We also support the City
Council approved Affordable
housing preservation strategy
that was a commission study
preserving affordable housing
in the city of San Diego
released MAY 2020 estimated
that more than 13,000 units
could become unaffordable by
2040 4200 restricted units MAY
lose protections and up to
9250.
Naturally, affordable homes
will become unaffordable due to
market pressures without
without intervention 35% of all
new production or simply
replacing have lost
affordability.
On FEBRUARY 3rd, 2025 City
Council approved a deed
restricted Affordable Housing
Preservation Ordinance
spearheaded by Councilmember
Fabian Moreno.
Then on APRIL 10th 2025 at
the request of City Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee, chair of
the Land Use and Housing
Committee staff presented an
informational report about
the potential for the creation
of an Affordable Housing
Preservation fund Along with
the options for its
implementation, the committee
asked us to return with
recommendations and funding
models going forward On
SEPTEMBER 4th, 2025 staff
returned to eliminate with a
range of preservation
strategies to create and
implement an affordable housing
preservation fund.
The committee unanimously
unanimously approved
recommending that the City
Council take the staff
recommended actions to
establish an affordable housing
preservation fund.
The committee requested
the staff take the actions
shown on the slide start of
research to various funding
models available to create and
preserve affordable housing and
naturally occurring housing In
San Diego we spoke with
industry professionals and
consulted with other localities
Determine the best options for
the city of San Diego.
We return to City Council to
request the approvals needed to
establish the fund and transfer
the neighborhood enhancement
funds to the Housing Commission
in its approval of the City of
San Diego's fiscal year 2026
budget, the City Council
allocated $5 million for
the Neighborhood Enhancement
Fund to the Affordable Housing
Preservation Fund since that
council action,
the Neighborhood announcement
Fund has grown to $5,913,544 as
new as additional new
developers paid for the Bond
Housing Commission staff have
worked with City of San Diego
staff to bring a companion item
to the city council to approve
a transfer of funds from
the city of San Diego Fund 2000
Commission for the fiscal year
2026 Sources and uses of funds
proposed for approval were not
included in the Housing
Commission's housing.
The Housing Commission's
Housing authority approved
fiscal year 2026 budget.
The Housing Commission is
requesting approval from
the Housing Authority to amend
the Housing Commission's fiscal
Year 2026 budget to authorize
the Housing Commission to
accept 5,000,913 $1,154 from
any fund for Affordable Housing
Preservation Fund activities to
acquire and preserve both deed
restricted and naturally
occurring affordable housing
properties.
The Housing Commission's
proposal for 26 Budget
Amendment does not commit any
funds to any specific strategy
program or acquisition or
individual property
acquisitions, Bond
authorizations and Preservation
Fund program approvals will be
brought back to the housing
Commission Board of
Commissioners, the Housing
Authority and or City Council
for separate approval before
any funds are expended on a
specific project.
The Housing Authority and or
City Council will set the final
policy strategies for
the Preservation Fund at a
later date as the fund grows
and additional types of
investments are sought, Those
proposals and any changes to
preservation fund activities
will be brought to the Housing
Authority or City Council for
approval.
Staff recommend that
the Housing authority of
the City of San Diego take
the actions detailed in staff
report and shown on the slide.
Thank you for your time.
Francis Barros and I are able
to answer any questions and
that concludes our
presentation.
All right.
Thank you for the work and
thank you for the presentation.
Please proceed with public
comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT If I can have
Paul Krueger please come
forward after that as allegedly
Adrienne and then Anthony Ross
you can please come forward to
the other reserved seats at
the front.
Anthony That would be greatly
appreciated as well as Agenda
You will have two minutes.
>> Please proceed.
I put in a slip for this and a
slip for the next one that i
would like almost the same.
Would it be easier if I just
made one presentation for four
minutes and not on the next?
The items are being taken
separately so then your
comments on Disappear.
Thank you.
I just wanted to call your
attention to how significant
this is in terms of unintended
consequences of programs.
The city council has approved
and refused to modify over
years of concern.
The bonus idea program
specifically removed from our
housing stock Affordable
starter housing at 750,000 or
more.
These homes are considered very
affordable and they're in
neighborhoods where housing is
affordable.
This policy allowed developers
to turn these homes into rental
units and build multiple units
in the backyards where these
bonus adu units affordable.
No they were not.
For every market rate unit
the developer got they were
allowed or required to build a
quote unquote affordable unit.
Those affordable units include
moderate rate housing that
rents for up to people who make
more than 110% of the average
median income for five years.
We urge this council to revisit
these rules and require
developers to build truly low
income housing and this council
did not do that.
The other issue here is what
could lead communities has done
to existing apartment buildings
that because they're older or
more affordable those those
units examples in utc and
Golden Hill were demolished to
make room for developments that
charge $2,700 for a one bedroom
unit with quote unquote
affordable units costing more
than $2,500.
We wouldn't be here if you
would Please take time to
review the consequences of
these programs They are pointed
out to you.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Allegedly under course they
didn't do it.
They need to squeeze out as
much as possible.
Right.
Sean, it's so interesting
because you guys sit here and
you do bring forward items like
this like you're really going
to preserve affordability.
You can't preserve something
that doesn't exist.
So you guys sit here and act
like we're providing affordable
housing.
Is it I mean is it really
affordable even if you need
some kind of voucher, does that
mean it's still affordable?
I mean would that mean it's not
that you make more money to go
in there?
I mean it's like the way you
guys pull wool over people's
eyes to make it seem like what
you're doing is beneficial to
them.
It's so sad because it's like
this $5 million.
>> I mean really what's going
to do your time on acquiring
and preserving like I mean you
guys sit up there with a
straight face.
>> It's so sad because people
are suffering.
You sit up on your dais and you
guys act like you know what
that's like to try and figure
out how you're going to pay
your rent and what's actually
affordable Like when you have
people that are making hundreds
of thousands of dollars and
talking about affordability
until you guys get paid 20
bucks an hour and you're trying
to make ends meet, I don't
think that you have a right to
talk about that because you
don't have that kind of lived
experience where you would
understand what it's like to
stretch a dollar Instead you
guys come out to the people
time and talk know Sean Do you
know what that's like?
Have you been homeless?
You have for how long?
Right?
And look at you now right?
Do you care about the people
you walk over at night?
You don't.
So I mean you want to sit here
and act like you've been
homeless?
I've been homeless too, but I
actually give a about
the people.
I don't just walk over them and
like Oh my gosh you're such an
eyesore.
Let's move you down the road.
That's what's so sad.
Yes, that's what you guys do.
You don't go in and personally
like encounter these people but
yet you sit up here and decide
what they can and what they
can't afford and that is so
egregious.
>> Anthony please confirm.
Well good afternoon City
Council.
I thought that this I mean it
appeared to be cut and dry to
me but after hearing some of
the testimonies, some of
the members of the public I'm
not exactly sure.
And I think that with regard to
what one of the gentlemen said
earlier with regard to
the unintended consequences, I
think that we should look into
that.
I think that I'm in support of
this item on the contingency
that we look into some of
the unintended consequences
that could happen as a result
of this proposal.
Thank you.
Sorry I'm going to time are
going to those participating
remotely starting with Francine
Maxwell If you can please
unmute Francine that's all
southeastern San Diego any of
these required paragraph two in
our dash 2021 dash 22 to be
used solely to fund recreation
amenities, active
transportation and transit
infrastructure projects.
So 100% no amenities were or
ever will be constructed with
any benefit.
Any money was not spent in any
amenity in communities of
concern or any infrastructure.
100% of money is now being
proposed to be transferred into
preserving the concentration of
poverty in communities of
concern without needed
infrastructure.
I could have sworn that my
neighbors won their lawsuit
against the city of San Diego
in reference to
the concentration of poverty.
So again we're going to have to
revisit this because it seems
like people have forgotten
about the win that my neighbors
received building projects
without amenities then using
the money meant to improve
the lives of the most
vulnerable but instead ensuring
they are without amenities.
I think that there's something
wrong unless I have just
completely misread this.
So I look forward to
the education that I MAY
receive from the diocese today
.
>> And again let's not forget
about 100% is now being
transferred preserving
the concentration of poverty
because District four is an
area of concern and their
neighbors get together and they
win lawsuits.
>> Thank you for allowing me to
speak.
Thank you.
Next is 8700 If you can please
unmute a joyful two Oh gosh I
thought I was preparing for
this in an unexpected items but
that's not what I need to whine
about or even cry.
Thank you Paul Krueger Thank
you Allegedly Audra Thank you.
Francine Maxwell They all are
telling us things You need to
listen to those statistics
about what's going to happen to
you know, these covenants these
these homes that are a year ago
we looked at this We have a
list of these things, these
restrictive covenant properties
that really didn't go under.
I don't think we've really done
anything dramatically to stop
that.
I really don't But I don't have
the time So I'm just worried.
I was very I love the word
preservation.
You all know that And I really
was all for this whole new I
still am.
But are we missing something?
I think we are and I don't know
what it is so please help me
with that, will you?
So we can do better.
>> Thank you for listening to.
Next is John If you can play
some you Good afternoon City
council It's interesting
the direction it's taken It's
the same direction that I was
going to go which is the most
underserved community and most
struggling is those that are
living on our streets right now
And we have decided to close
the facility that represents
over half of the bathrooms
the only place where you can
wash your personal items and
get your clothes done and
the only place where you can
take a break even a park for
homeless people to go to.
So if this funding is for that
for the purpose of meeting
the needs of underserved
communities I suggest we start
there and then we should go
over to the lot and talk about
what's going on there because
when we envision that we did
not envision it at the density
that it currently is operating
at, we did not envision it
without any ground cover to
relieve you of just any point
or when it rains.
We do not agree to a place that
has no shade and no community
gathering places to relax.
There is and it is divisible
and dense beyond what we ever
imagined were 2 to 300 tents in
one location.
We have zero adult shelters
that are built for purpose or
for that matter that are in
place for anyone who is a
single adult On our streets
right now we've got four
specialty groups.
We've got it for families.
We've got for people with
disabilities people gay,
lesbian.
But if you're a single adult
you get to live in a tent
whether it's a group tent on
asphalt or a tent and then a
lot So I think we need to
rethink our priorities here
because honestly we're kind of
make it some break up ranch
look like a good idea and you
know how I feel about that.
Thank you.
The five minute timer has been
clear.
We have two speakers in
the can.
No additional speakers will be
taken.
That was Blair Beekman and
Natalie Raasch.
Gabler if you can please unmute
I thank you for Beakman Thank
you Public comment today
the previous public comment or
as a lot of words and ideas on
the concept of the future of
the New York Day Center and he
is just the best strongest
voice to really talk about any
possible future for the day
center.
I hope his voice is really
listened to and realize what
we're losing and giving that
up.
I think we understand its
efficiency in giving it up.
He's stating the practicalities
why we need to keep it and work
on concepts like it If we if it
is depended where else are we
going to go All Kruger also
offered really interesting
comments that was seconded by
Anthony Thank you very much I
would like to third that
concept and and the idea that
you're hearing good public
voices on this matter and that
help and I guess to thank our
council persons you know I've
been learning important lessons
from our council person
the Carver that I understand
you guys do care about
affordable housing at this time
I'm better understanding that
what you can be doing towards
that subject towards truly
affordable housing and with
what the groups like path can
do the work that they do has
been nothing short of
miraculous And we really have
to be I hope those
conversations become more and
more clear.
I mean it's more than just
shelters that they offer and
how we build that future is
important from that how do we
again talk about the future of
places like New graduate center
and services for people who
really need it And look how
this funding can be used to for
a truly affordable end and that
you guys have conversations
here on the dsa in those good
terms and good luck in
listening to the public to all
of us who've offered really
interesting comment here today.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Natalie Rush here
last speaker please on media Hi
Natalie Rashi a lot a lot of
this is kind of confusing
understanding the language
that's being used as a
stakeholder elder And I was you
know, looking at the definition
I consider myself a stakeholder
and I don't know that we are
considered a stakeholder.
Some of us the voices that we
have I think that moving
forward we have to really be
intentional and conscious of
what we choose and how we
choose to build buildings or
build anything that we're
doing.
I was offered a apartment at
Quattro for City Heights.
I drove by there that whoever
designed that that building it
looks like a jail cell.
The side window would be
the freeway of the 15 I
understood in that when we have
to build affordable housing in
areas where there's transits
and such things but I don't
know of anybody who's looked at
that building or some of
the other buildings that are
built.
It really stands out as you're
in affordable housing.
So if we're creating these I
don't know it almost puts a tag
on you again and I don't know
whose intentions are or what
they are when they're building
these places that are supposed
to include or be inclusive to
our community.
And I think that there is there
is definitely we need to re
approach how we move forward in
this new day and age.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on this item.
All right.
Thank you City Clerk.
With that we'll turn over to
council members questions,
comments entertain a motion.
We'll start with the chair of
Land Use and Housing Council
PRESIDENT Pro tem I think I was
PRESIDENT And I want to start
off by thanking my colleague
Councilmember Renaud for her
years of leadership and
advocacy as the former chair of
Planning and Housing Committee
in bringing forward
the Preservation Ordinance that
was passed by this council
earlier last year.
This item came before the Land
Use and Housing Committee in
the fall and where we are doing
is taking the next step in
actually putting together a
fund that supports our
affordable housing preservation
ordinance as we acknowledge at
the time the ordinance was
really just one initial step to
move the city's affordable
housing preservation strategy
forward allowing for
opportunities so that as
affordable housing covenants
expired, the city whether
through the Housing Commission
or through partners within
the community who could
participate in this fund could
help and have the opportunity
to preserve existing affordable
housing and to renew their
covenants in the years ahead.
As you've heard from
the presentation, there's been
over 13,000 units that have
been identified with covenants
that would be expiring other
nationally affordable housing
occurring affordable housing
that has been at risk And for
much time the city has focused
heavily primarily on producing
new housing units.
But at the same time we
recognize that just producing
new units doesn't necessarily
ensure that the existing units
with expirations on their
covenants would actually be
protected.
And that's why we're here today
working with the Housing
Commission and Planning
Department, the Neighborhood
Enhancement fee was established
specifically with housing
preservation as one of its
primary areas of emphasis And
today we're looking not just at
allocating the $5.9 million to
start this fund but recognizing
that the funds that were
collected in that now have
the opportunity actually be
utilized for the purpose they
were intended which is to
provide for additional
affordable housing
opportunities specifically by
protecting the ones that
already exist.
I do want to ask both Colin and
Francis something that has been
identified is that the staff
report and the materials here
talk about the $5.9 million as
a part of f by 26.
We're of course headed into
that for 27 budget as well.
And so we've been talking about
a higher number of what's
anticipated to ultimately go
into this fund.
>> Can you share about that?
Yeah.
Thank you for the question.
So yes, this is strictly for
fiscal year 2026 for the 5.9
million in fiscal year 27
there's an additional 2.7
million to get bring us to a
total of $8.5 million.
That budget was already
approved by city council.
>> That's why we did not
mention it in this report.
Thank you.
And let me just note that as
much as we talked about
the ordinance being a first
step and the establishment of
this fund being another step,
there's a lot of work to do
still $8.5 million is not a lot
at the end of the day in terms
of the number of housing units
that can be impacted.
We look at some of
the developments that we've or
some of the properties in
the past where on the national
affordable naturally occurring
affordable side we've seen
thousands of units shift hands
to become market rate and we've
lost that affordability to
those who had the ability to
act upon that.
What this establishing this
fund allows the city to do is
to also look at other resources
whether it's philanthropic
partners, whether it's
corporate and workforce
partners within the region to
think about how we can work
collectively to have funding
available so that as housing
units either lose their
covenants or naturally
affordable occurring affordable
units are identified where
there's an opportunity for us
to step in and preserve their
existing cost so that
homeowners renters etc. Can
stay within the housing units
that they're in.
This fund is just the first
step in allowing us to better
be prepared to act upon that
front.
So again, we're just taking one
step today We're opening a door
inviting the opportunity to
partner with others to expand
upon our ability as a city to
preserve affordable housing.
Again, where this really
focuses just as a starting
point are the thousands of
units that we have identified
that are 55 year covenants for
affordable housing that are
expiring and the decade ahead.
There's nothing else we can do
for those units if we're not
ready to act upon them and to
encourage others to do so.
The ordinance that was
established that Councilmember
Moreno helped to champion help
provide the first right of
refusal so that affordable
housing developers and others
could act before someone could
come in.
From a market rate standpoint
this is a next step that allows
the city to partner with folks
to actually put funding and
capital into doing just that.
So with that I'm proud to move
the staff recommendation on
this item and look forward to
the comments from my
colleagues.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
So we have a motion by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee to move
the staff recommendation and
we'll go next to council member
Moreno.
Thank you to the San Diego
Housing Commission and city
staff for bringing this item
forward.
I am pleased to support
the final establishment of
the Affordable Housing
Preservation Fund and
the transfer of
the Neighborhood Enhancement
Funds to build this important
resource for San Diego.
The reality is simple San Diego
doesn't have enough affordable
housing and while we must
continue building more
construction, it alone is not
keeping up with the need.
This is why preserving
the Affordable homes we already
have is just as important as
building new ones.
When an affordable housing
property is put up for sale
after the 55 year covenant it
simply could be before it could
be sold from an affordable
housing developer to a private
developer without the city ever
having the opportunity to step
in and preserve its
affordability.
To be clear, these are
affordable homes that were
built using public subsidies
and it's critical that we keep
them affordable.
The Affordable Housing
Preservation Ordinance that was
mentioned by our pro tem is an
ordinance that I worked very
closely with with the San Diego
Housing Commission in 2023 As a
former chair of the Land Use
and Housing Committee, I
requested that the San Diego
Housing Commission bring
the committee information on
what we could do to preserve
affordable homes in San Diego
in NOVEMBER 2024, the Land Use
and Housing Committee
unanimously recommended that
the City Council adopt this or
the order the previous
ordinance which provides a
right of first offer and right
of first refusal to qualified
entities including nonprofits
and for profit organization or
for profit organizations.
And I do want to take this
opportunity to thank the San
Diego Housing Commission for
how many meetings did you guys
have during that?
>> I know we're not talking
about this but it's good to to
put on record how many meetings
you had.
>> I've lost count.
>> It was a lot was a lot.
It was a lot of meetings But in
20 in 20 in FEBRUARY of 2025
the Affordable Housing
Preservation Ordinance was
unanimously approved by
the city council.
This ordinance applies when
the owner of an assisted
housing development intends to
sell the property.
It requires the property owner
to provide a notice of intent
to sell to government and
affordable housing entities
three months before any
offering to sell or listing
with any real estate agent
the Affordable Housing
Preservation Ordinance prevents
deed restricted affordable
homes from being redeveloped
into market rate or luxury
housing.
Now when a building with deed
restricted affordable housing
goes on the market we will have
the opportunity to preserve
that The those houses that pass
ordinance I thought was very
reasonable and it was an
effective tool to keep deed
restricted affordable units in
place across San Diego
basically keeping San Diego
from losing affordable homes
that they live in today We are
now we're taking the next
critical step the neighborhood
enhancement for dollars JANUARY
aided by new development are
now being reinvested to
preserve affordable housing and
establishing the Affordable
Housing Preservation Ordinance
Fund which we are doing today
will ensure we have
the resources also known as
money needed to act when these
opportunities arise.
So the first ordinance gave us
the right to do it.
Now this is providing us
the money to do it.
So having the Affordable
Housing Preservation Ordinance
Fund in place is an essential
tool to ensure that we continue
preserving exist existing
affordable homes in San Diego.
>> Do we need more housing?
Yes.
Do we need more parks?
Yes.
Do we need to make our parks
and keep them up to speed?
Absolutely yes.
But we absolutely need need
these funds And I want to take
this opportunity to thank
Council Pro Tem Lee and his
staff for your continuous work
on this very important effort.
Could have just left it sitting
on the shelf and we would have
never had money to actually put
our money where our mouth is.
And I also want to take an
opportunity to thank our I'm
going to call you guys housing
heroes to call in to Frances to
Lisa.
You guys are absolutely our
housing heroes.
We could have had that
informational item and you
could have, you know, told me
everything I wanted to hear and
we could have walked away and
not had I want to say it was
like it was a crazy amount of
meeting like 15 or 33 meetings
You could have never you didn't
have you you didn't have to do
it and you did it.
>> And now we are seeing
the fruits of your hard labor
And I want to thank you for
that And second the motion.
>> Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Moreno So we do
have a motion by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee and
second by council member Marina
on move the staff
recommendation will go next to
council member Eli Rivera.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Thank you Colin and Frances and
Lisa and the whole Housing
Commission team.
>> Sometimes things are good.
That's it.
They're just good.
This is good If we care about
people being able to live in
this city and stay in
the communities that they live
in they love and they're
pouring their hearts into this
is good period.
>> This is making it easier for
the city to actually do
the things we say we want to
do.
So I think some of
the confusion is coming from a
a genuine place of not
understanding exactly what
the action is here in front of
us.
But I also think there's some
folks who just will always find
an opportunity to criticize
everything that happens here to
relitigate completely separate
issues And what's in front of
us right now is the result of
one council member working hand
in hand with the housing
Commission to put a law on
the books to to ensure that
every single affordable housing
naturally occurring affordable
housing complex in San Diego
isn't seen as fresh meat from
Wall Street investors and
people who want to flip homes
regardless of what the impact
is on community gives San Diego
an actual chance to to compete
and then council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee in partnership with
the Housing Commission is
making sure that the city has a
vehicle to have the funding
necessary to actually act on
that law.
>> This is good.
>> So I'm appreciative of
the effort that's gone into
this.
I am glad to see that we are
taking actions to ensure that
we can do the things that we
say we want to do And there are
plenty of reasons to be
dissatisfied with the state of
housing in San Diego.
There are plenty of reasons to
be dissatisfied with
the progress we've made to make
San Diego more affordable and
this is good.
So the last thing I will add
and I had a chance to talk
about this a little bit earlier
alongside my colleagues
Councilmember Moreno and
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee.
But communities like City
Heights and other parts of
the city that were naturally
occurring affordable housing
exists and just to make sure
that's a technical term so we
can like define what we're
talking about there Those are
typically older homes that have
have become more affordable
over time or there's a deed
restricted affordable housing
that is about to where the deed
restrictions are about to
expire And that is the reason
why investors are seeing it as
chum in the water.
And if we don't do this, what
happens is a Wall Street
investor or local developer who
doesn't care about people comes
in, buys a property, kicks
the people out who are
currently there, flips those
units into air quote luxury
apartments cause they're not
really luxury and that
the cycle continues.
So some of the folks who've
spoken kind of in opposition to
this are the same people who
talk about caring about
community character and
the community character that I
care about comes from
the people who live in those
homes And this helps us protect
those people.
So thank you again everyone who
worked on this who put effort
in I'm glad we're doing this.
This is good.
That's why I'm supporting it
And we'll vote yes.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Got Somerville or Rivera We'll
go next to council member
Whitburn Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Yes this is a
great step forward.
Thank you to the Housing
commission, the planning
department for all the work
that's gone into it.
So many people are struggling
with the cost of living in San
Diego.
The biggest part of that is
the cost of housing.
We need more housing that is
truly affordable And obviously
one way to address that is to
build more affordable housing.
We're doing that.
We're doing quite a bit of that
in the district I represent
here downtown Harrington
Heights and the East Village
opened up late last year.
Jacaranda died in Cortez Hill
opened up last month.
We got another deed restricted
affordable housing project
going in up here on six between
Cedar and Beach That will be
opening before too long.
All of those have or will have
rents that are restricted based
on the renter's income.
But as we produce that new
affordable housing we can't
afford to lose the affordable
housing that we already have
Lose it because
the department's rent
restriction expires or because
that apartment that simply has
a low rent because of
the market goes away or is
replaced by something more
expensive.
Otherwise we're just spinning
our wheels and we're not
actually adding to the overall
supply of affordable housing
that we so desperately need.
That is why this fund is such a
big deal.
The city dedicating funding
specifically for preserving
affordable housing is not
something that very many cities
are doing.
This fund as has been
discussed, could be used to
acquire naturally occurring
affordable housing before a
private investor snaps it up
could be used to preserve deed
restricted affordable housing
and with the city committing
neighborhood enhancement for
dollars year over year this is
a sustained investment in
keeping San Diego affordable.
It's not just a one time
effort.
That's part of the beauty of
this.
This is going to help renters
in my district who currently
live in affordable housing and
depend on their apartment to
remain affordable.
It means that when a landlord
decides to sell that apartment
building in North Park or
Hillcrest or Golden Hill a
building where people have
lived for years and where rents
are still affordable,
the Housing Commission could
have an opportunity to step in
and buy it before a private
investor does Before Redd's go
up, before people get pushed
out of their homes and out of
their neighborhoods, it'll
protect the affordable rents
that exist right now and keep
them affordable going forward.
Every unit that we preserve is
a family that doesn't have to
move, a family that could stay
in the neighborhood.
A senior at fixed income who
gets to stay in
the neighborhood that they have
called home for decades a
worker who could still afford
to live close to where they
work.
>> We lose thousands thousands
of affordable units in this
city every year that because
they're necessarily tore down
but because they're sold and
the rents are raised this fund
is how we start to fight back
against that.
So San Diego is doing something
genuinely innovative here.
I am proud to support it and I
will join my colleagues
colleagues in thanking all of
you who have been involved in
this incredibly important work.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
>> Thank you Council member
Whitburn.
And we'll go next to Council
member Campbell.
Thank you so much for all
the comments from all my
colleagues that are absolutely
correct.
I remember gosh back just
before I ran for council we
lost a large affordable housing
complex because the 55 years
had run out and it was really
difficult to get them to agree
with the fact that please help
us figure out a way to help
these folks who are now elderly
and can't move And they got
they've been in this thing for
55 years So at any rate those
times that's the history that
led to ideas like this.
This is an excellent idea and
I'm definitely in favor and I
want to thank all my colleagues
for this as well as the Housing
Commission.
Again for your brilliance in
trying to help us with our
housing situation.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councilmember
Campbell.
Not anybody else on the lights
.
I'll add my thank you to member
Maureen out Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tom Lee the Housing
commission excuse me city staff
that has done the very good
work here going forward and
the one thing I want to really
emphasize is that nobody is
standing up and cheering and
saying mission accomplished.
This is a huge step towards
solving a huge problem and we
can't build fast enough.
And as my colleagues have said
,this is an opportunity to
preserve what we have and there
is nothing more efficient, more
green, more climate action plan
friendly than simply preserving
the development and buildings
that we have already.
So this is a huge step.
I appreciate the emphasis in
getting this place locked into
place and then begin to think
about what do we do next?
Can we leverage this together
and are funding other grants
philanthropic philanthropy.
As council PRESIDENT Pro Tem we
talked about so we look forward
to once you start getting into
the weeds and where you go and
this is a good day.
It is a a step in the right
direction So I'll be supporting
as well.
So we have a motion by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee and a
second by Councilmember Moreno.
Clerk Please call the roll I'm
sorry the voting system Please
cast your vote That passes
unanimously unanimously 6 to 0
with Council Member Campo,
Councilmember Yvonne Wolpert
and Councilmember Foster
absent.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you And again thank you
to staff for the good work.
We will now adjourn as
the housing authority and
reconvene as the City council
clerk please introduce item 402
items for a Tuesday agreement
between the city of San Diego
and the San Diego Housing
Commission as the agency for
the Transfer of Neighborhood
Enhancement Fund fees to chc to
support the Affordable Housing
Preservation Fund.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
And staff as you're settling in
when you're ready please
introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need.
We should only need five
minutes.
All right.
When you're ready.
All right.
>> Good afternoon, council
members.
My name is Melissa Garcia and
I'm a senior planner with
the city planning Department.
Today I'm joined by Marlin
Pangilinan, program manager
with the City Planning
Department.
We are here to present
the agreement between the city
of San Diego and the San Diego
Housing Commission for
the Transfer of Neighborhood
Enhancement Fund fees to
the San Diego Housing
Commission to support
the Affordable Housing
Preservation Fund.
The item proposes the following
actions Authorize the mayor or
designee to enter an agreement
between the city of San Diego
and the San Diego Housing
Commission to transfer City
Neighborhood Enhancement Fund
fees to support the Affordable
Housing Preservation Fund.
And authorize the Chief
Financial Officer or designee
to appropriate and expend an
amount not to exceed 8.5
million from the city's
Neighborhood Enhancement Fund
to the San Diego Housing
Commission for the purpose of
supporting the Affordable
Housing Preservation Fund.
The Neighborhood Enhancement
Fund consists of fees collected
from developers participating
in the Complete Community's
Housing Solutions program which
was adopted in 2020 and is a
program that incentivizes
housing production here transit
while funding neighborhood
amenities to be eligible to
receive benefits under
the Complete Community's
Housing Solutions regulations.
Applicants must either
construct on site public
amenities or pay a neighborhood
enhancement in lieu fee.
50% of the net funds collected
are to be used to fund
recreation amenities, active
transportation and transit
infrastructure projects and
the remaining 50% of the nef is
to be used for affordable
housing preservation.
>> This action proposes to
transfer a neighborhood
enhancement fees to the San
Diego Housing Commission's
Affordable Housing Preservation
Fund which is being established
under a separate action by
the Housing Authority.
The Affordable Housing
Preservation Fund will acquire
and preserve deed restriction
deed restricted, restricted and
naturally occurring affordable
housing for households earning
between 30% and 150% of area
median income.
The fund will also preserve at
risk deed restricted affordable
housing that is nearing the end
of its affordability term.
It will also prevent
displacement and leverage
public and private investment.
The staff recommendation is to
authorize the mayor or designee
to enter into an agreement
between the city of San Diego
and the San Diego Housing
Commission to transfer a city
neighborhood Enhancement Fund
fees to support the Affordable
Housing Preservation Fund and
authorize the Chief financial
officer or designee to
appropriate and expend an
amount not to exceed 8.5
million from the city's
Neighborhood Enhancement Fund
to the San Diego Housing
Commission for the purpose of
supporting the Affordable
Housing Preservation Fund.
>> That concludes staff
presentation.
We're available for questions.
All right.
Thank you for the presentation
,Clark Please proceed with
public comment.
>> Paul Krueger if you can
please come forward after that
will be allegedly older than
Anthony Ramos If you can please
come to the front of the room.
>> Oh, thank you.
First I'd like to clarify that
I don't oppose this nor
the prior motion I spoke
neutrally about them.
Secondly, I want to stress that
our concerns are as you
yourselves have pointed out,
the loss of quote unquote
naturally occurring affordable
housing could be and could have
been prevented.
I'm not here to relitigate
anything.
I'm here to stress to you and
ask you to please moving
forward listen to those who
bring a wealth of knowledge and
research.
Six years ago we told you that
commune complete communities
and more than that the bonus
edu program were destroying
naturally occurring affordable
housing They were destroying.
Market level entry purchase
housing by turning those homes
into rentals and they were
destroying opportunities for
truly affordable housing by
allowing developers to always
choose the moderate income
option for their bonus.
The moderate income option was
100 and is 110% of the area
Median income or more than
$100,000 a year and resulted in
rents of $2,500 for a 417
square foot apartment.
If you had only listened to us
six years ago and simply took a
critical look at these two
programs, you would have saved
a significant number of
affordable homes moving
forward.
You have the opportunity to
look critically at with our
upcoming neighborhood homes for
All of Us program to ask
yourself for a viewpoint that
do not reflect those with money
and lobbying connections who
speak with your.
>> Thank you for including
sentence at the allegedly ultra
.
>> Do you guys smell that It
smells like gas all
the gaslighting that you guys
have done hopefully nobody
likes imaginative plays will go
up in flames It's so sad
because it's like I still
understand how you're literally
pretending to preserve anything
when $8.5 million even if you
wanted to preserve those 13,000
units it's like 650 bucks.
I mean and then you're talking
about buying these these
affordable housing units that
the deed restrictions have gone
and how you can afford that And
then who's going to take care
of it?
Dreams for change And then
people will die just like they
have a tent city to 17 in your
district Stephen to last week
How cool is that?
Thursday and Friday.
That's so exciting that it's
just 17 and six months.
Goodness good thing they're
open But yeah they would be a
good people to you know go in
and take over one of these deed
restricted units.
I mean how about you guys
What's with the 55 years?
>> Why do we only do it 55
years?
So we come to a place like this
and like oh my gosh, what are
we going to do?
Oh dang it, these people are
going to sell this unit but
we're going to put in an
ordinance, We're going to get
this money and tell people that
if you pay a fee you don't have
to create affordable housing
even when we need it and there
isn't anything affordable Like
again you guys sit here and you
say it's affordable.
How can it be affordable if you
have to have a subsidy for it?
>> Just wondering are we
redefining this just like we
did with a woman?
So now affordable means that as
long as you have to get all of
these things to help you pay
for that means it's affordable
to you.
Like you literally get in
the way of people being able to
thrive in life.
It's disgusting because you
gaslight the people sitting
here saying like This is good.
Trust us.
This is good right?
This is this is so good.
So good.
It's good.
That's all I can say is that
it's good.
Just trust us.
It's bad for real.
People are dying at 1030 and
you guys won't even shut it
down.
>> You won't even do anything.
But yet you're in litigation
with Anthony Robles.
Good afternoon, City Council.
I wanted to start by thinking
Vivian Moreno for explaining
exactly what the ordinance does
and how one of them establishes
the procedure and one of them
helps fund the procedure.
I want to thank Kent Lee for
explaining that as well to add
that both of your explanations
made a really what was what it
was a complicated issue that I
didn't understand really helped
It really helps break it down
so that I could understand it
in terms that were more
palpable And now it is
something that I fully support
.
I am thankful, MISS Campbell
for your input, your historical
input.
I really appreciate you sharing
that expertise with regard to
the context of the governance
of the 55 year lease and how
any expire We have to renew
them and we have to have
the funds to renew them.
Every time I come to city
council it's always humbling.
There's always stuff that I
learn.
I show up wanting to oppose
block and then I learn about
tons more issues that I had no
idea existed and had no idea
how to even interpret.
So I'm grateful for the work
that's done here.
And I also want to acknowledge
the cynicism and the lack of
trust that comes from repeated
public engagement and feeling
like there is a what's the word
I'm looking for It was in
packet It was left behind
somebody they were talking
about a planning group and they
were talking about how
the planning groups don't feel
like they have an adequate seat
at the table.
It was the first agenda item
unfortunately I was not here
for it for that discussion But
the point that was raised they
mentioned it in the letter that
was left behind I feel like it
probably got a copy of it but
it was mentioning how sometimes
it feels like we don't have
enough of a seat at the table
to really have the input
necessary to be qualified.
>> Honestly thank you for
completing that either by going
to time or going to those
participating remotely Starting
with Hector If you can please
unmute.
All right.
This one is probably going to
be the Supreme Court Supreme
Court ruling just came down
with temporary legal status has
been revoked for a million
people.
So anybody that's got their
legal status revoked and send
your county has got to leave.
So make sure that the roles
the roles of the buildings
don't have any illegals in them
to have to leave.
So that would that would clear
up housing problem but that
would put in more spaces for
rent like even 100,000 people
are living here illegally work
on that problem to deport them
.
That will open up a lot of
housing, affordable housing and
even some millionaire guys who
are here illegally.
So that'd be a good reason to
do.
And then about I'm all for
the mayor of Barrio Logan for
the new mayor to get some Tesla
charging stations down there by
the railroad tracks and get
the banana company to get those
Tesla trucks, the electric
trucks are flying off
the shelves the time companies
are buying them And the Dow guy
could set up a thing down there
to charge these trucks and give
the revenue to Barrio
the Barrio Logan Don't let
the city get the revenue Have
the barrio get that revenue
Like maybe it'd be like 500,000
a month doing the charging
station down there in battery
thing that would be and guys
could live there and watch it
The barrio could I mention it
doesn't get tagged They could
provide security but no one
ever tags the girls under
the bridge right where they're
tagging their neighborhood in
District four but not in
the barrio.
Logan Nobody tags the murals
because they provide security
for their own stuff so that
would be cool.
Okay But thank you.
Next is Jonathan please on you
.
Hi.
I just wanted to make sure that
it was understood with my prior
comments that we do support
the effort to retain affordable
housing.
The frustration that we're
having is whether or not you
know, there's 320 households
that were on a used that are
going to see those vouchers go
away and they will not at this
point as we understand it, have
a place for them or their
families to go.
So that's almost 2000 people I
you've got that You've got
the loss of food stamps where
people who are living on
the streets there's some sort
of insanity that people are
going to be believe that those
folks are going to be able to
get a job or are volunteer for
20 hours a week.
Clearly this is something
designed by people that have no
idea and now on top of it in
the city where we've had
multiple outbreaks amongst this
population because of a lack of
sanitation, we're taking half
or more of the toilets offline
that are available to them at a
time where they're needed most
on top of a place to clean
their stuff, to relax and not
be harassed.
>> Remember we just talked
about people investing in
parks.
People who are experiencing
homelessness can't even go to a
park without being harassed
here And I'll say that And now
that I've experienced it I will
never again allow to stand up
and help somebody who the city
cannot help when they've been
evicted because now my rv has
been targeted and I got one
morning and now I have $175
ticket and I have left that rv
as needed out on the overpass
nearby my home for years But
since it got tagged now we're
targeting So why don't we take
some of those resources and
target people that are oh I
don't know in illegally renting
vacation homes so we can free
up some housing.
>> Thank you.
Next is 8700 and then our final
speaker is Blair Beekman.
Joy Senator, first of all,
Councilmember Rivera and
Councilmember Moreno, I'm
really I can't believe the two
of you are just chatting.
Councilmember Moreno, this is
your big baby.
You did get it rolling yet
You're sitting there with
Councilmember Rivera and you're
talking while people are
talking and telling you how
they feel and what they care
about What what you I it's
beyond it's beyond me.
It's beyond me What I need to
believe you are the one thing
to which you're my hero You're
the one of those 20 or 30
meetings You were just here
beyond beyond your five star
plus into the universe And
the presentation tax
exemptions.
And I wish I could talk to you
about which projects are exempt
from those we don't qualify
for.
The ordinance said that it's
brilliant These financial
solutions are brilliant and why
can't I understand the movement
of the funds on both of these
items?
Why can't I?
I look at I look at I look at
it I'm not good at it.
I'll say that.
But why can't we understand
what you're doing with these
funds in the past and now And
what was the companion item?
I thought they were called a
companion item.
I'm just lost in the shuffle
and I'm doing the best I can.
>> Please listen to us.
Love to all our next because
Blair between please I mean
what are we going academy for
you I will need to move on If
you are having technical
difficulties there could be
between.
Yes, we can hear you.
Please proceed.
I just got a new phone, so
thank you.
It's working now.
Yeah.
I wanted to comment that I
enjoyed watching Councilperson
Moreno and and their
conversations over the past few
months Now it's been really
engaging I think what they're
talking about it seems like But
hopefully they can make
the arrangements to to listen
more to public comment during
public comment time as well.
I wanted to comment that yeah
this item as it can work with
the baby asylum I thought of
ideas I thought of a community
land trust ideas and how well
that can be working these items
and what the future of that can
be.
I've always been a really
important point that within
this if we have a consistent
pattern in how we fund our in
movies developers then know
what to expect and we can be
very very clear in the concepts
of what truly affordable
housing can be about and they
can be clear as well And they
all understand the rules of
the road a lot easier and be
more giving I think to be more
understanding of what is good
policy and good practices
instead of the continual casino
that we usually practice that I
agree work sometimes but other
times we just get really really
confused and everybody gets
lost and hate each other from
it, you know And then they say
I don't want to ever support
for affordable housing again,
you know And when you go
through that whole pattern and
trip instead of just having a
nice steady way or just
consistently, you know, doing
the best practices and I hope
you can be working towards that
To conclude.
Thank you a lot for the words
of John Again you mentioned
affordable housing.
It's really it's importance And
can I mention mixed income
ideas and ideas?
How can we work towards new
ideas of mixed income that
offers a lot of flexibility and
choices in our efforts?
>> Thank you.
That doesn't appear to comment
on this item.
>> All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk Without turning over
to colleagues for questions
Comments entertain a motion
We'll start with the chair of
the Land and Housing Committee
council PRESIDENT Pro tem we
think as a PRESIDENT Whereas
the last item helped to
establish the Affordable
Housing Preservation Fund
Outstanding Housing Commission.
This item helps to allocate
the funding from
the Neighborhood Advancement
Fund fees to the Housing
Commission to complete
the other side of it.
>> So with that I will move
the staff's recommendation.
All right.
Thank you.
So we do have that motion
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
and with the staff
recommendation I'll go next to
Councilmember Moreno.
Happy to second item.
All right.
So we have motion by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee, a second
by Councilmember Moreno to move
the staff recommendation.
We'll go to my way to say thank
you.
How did we get dropped?
Do you want okay I'll just add
my thanks for the good work to
do this and I appreciate that
brief explanation.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Maybe
that helps one of the public
commenters with that clerk
Please call the roll So
the voting system please cast
your vote That passes
unanimously 6 to 0 with
Councilmember Campo
Councilmember Opening
Councilmember Foster Absent.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right
Again thank you to staff for
the item.
We will now adjourn as the city
council and reconvene
the special Housing Authority
meeting Clerk Please introduce
Housing Authority Item two
Authority Item two is
the Federal Housing Commission
Semiannual Grant Report JULY
1st, 2025 through DECEMBER 31st
2025.
If you'd like to speak to this
item please be sure to raise
your hand by pressing Star nine
or the raise your hand icon Or
if you are hearing council
chambers please be sure to
submit your speakers to the box
in the front of the room.
Thank you.
All right.
As you said all yourself in
please indicate or scuse me
please state your name for
the record and let us know how
much time you need.
Okay?
There we go.
Good afternoon.
I'm Deborah Fishel for
the senior vice PRESIDENT Of
Community and Strategic
Initiatives for the Housing
Commission.
With me is Polly Toledo,
the housing programs manager
Are presentation will be six
minutes or less.
All right.
Well hang on the left.
All right.
We're getting ready.
Okay.
Let's go to the folks.
That's all I did here But I'm
going to stop there.
I'm going to go there.
There we go.
So this informational report is
being provided in accordance
with the resolution number
eight 1569 which granted
the Housing Commission
authority for a number of grant
related activities.
The report provides information
on grant activities for
the period of JULY 1st 2025
through DECEMBER 31st, 2025.
It covers competitive grants,
noncompetitive grants and
allocations grant funds passed
through to the Housing
Commission and agreements and
contracts executed as a result
of these sources of funds.
During this reporting period
there was activity on 13
competitive funding
opportunities.
This included nine new and four
renewal applications.
We were notified of seven
awards totaling more than $40
million.
There was one grant request for
more than 490,000 that didn't
unfortunately didn't advance to
the next step in
the application process.
Finally, five applications for
approximately $6.5 million were
pending decisions as of
DECEMBER 31st 2025.
I will now provide you with
the remaining grant activity
details for this report.
The nearly 40.1 million in
grant awards came from three
sources The California Housing
and Community Development
Department, the us Department
of Housing and Urban
Development and the County of
San Diego.
Please note that this total
does not reflect the value of a
grant that was awarded but for
which the dollar amount was
unknown as of DECEMBER 31st,
2025 and this total includes
only the first year award
amount for a grant that has two
more one year options
approximately 39.2 million in
grant awards came from three
separate programs administered
by the California Housing and
Community Development
Department, also known as hpd.
The programs include Hongqi
plus Cal Home and the Local
Housing Trust Fund.
These awards will help create
205 affordable rental
apartments including permanent
supportive housing units for
households experiencing
homelessness.
Additionally, they will support
up to 19 households to be
assisted through the housing
commissions for first time
homebuyer low income program
and up to five households
through the Accessory Dwelling
Unit Finance program.
The Commission received more
than 727,000 in renewal funding
from the federal family
Self-sufficiency Program.
This money pays for staff to
provide families receiving
federal rental assistance with
financial literacy, employment
and similar services to help
them become more self-reliant.
The Commission also was
selected to continue its
administration of the county of
San Diego's as needed
Downpayment and Closing Costs
Assistance program.
The program offers low interest
deferred payment loans for
first time homebuyers with low
income and makes funds
available to moderate income
first time homebuyers in
designated areas.
The final two awards during
this reporting period include a
$10,000 from the banking
institution City Community
Investing and Development to
support programs of the San
Diego City County Reinvestment
Task Force.
Additionally, we were notified
about a first time award of a
federal youth homeless
demonstration program funds
which was granted to
the Housing Commission by
the San Diego Regional Task
Force on Homelessness.
The exact amount of the award
was unknown at the end of this
reporting period but we have
since been notified that it is
for more than 1.5 million.
>> The Commission submitted a
letter of interest to
the California Wellness
Foundation's Economic Safety
Net program which unfortunately
did not advance to the next
stage though our request for
approximately 490,000 to
provide homelessness prevention
assistance did fit within
the foundation's strategies.
There were limited funds to
accommodate all the submissions
as the Housing Commission had
five submissions to three
separate funding opportunities
that were pending decision as
of DECEMBER 31st 2025.
Requests for funding for three
separate projects were
submitted to
the congressionally directed
economic development Initiative
Community Project Funding
through hud.
Two of the project requests
totaling approximately 4.4
million were submitted via
the Office of Congressman Scott
Peters to support an affordable
housing prevention program as
well as an integrated recovery
support program.
Another request for 2 million
to support the Velasco
redevelopment project was
submitted via the Office of
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs and
application was submitted to
the County of San Diego's
Community Development Block
Grant requesting annual support
for the Reinvestment Task Force
for more than $121,000.
The last pending request at
the end of this reporting
period was to head for Veterans
Affairs supportive housing
vouchers not including
the budget authority for
the rental housing vouchers
which is unknown until
the vouchers are awarded.
The total for these pending
grant request was more than 6.5
million.
The Housing Commission
submitted six eligible renewal
projects worth a combined total
of more than 11.7 million That
provided rapid rehousing and
permanent supportive housing
surface services through
the continuum of care.
No formal application for
the Housing Commission also
received two awards of grant
funding totaling more than 18.5
million.
That was passed through from
other entities.
These awards will be leveraged
with the housing Commission's
Grant Award from the Homekey
Plus program for Starline Place
Affordable housing development.
>> The funding includes more
than 11.5 million in federal
community development block
grant fundraising passed
the pass through by the city of
San Diego and 7 million and
Federal American Rescue Plan
Act general purpose revenue
passed through by the county of
San Diego.
Next up grant funding to
the Housing Commission also is
reinvested into the community
and positively impact the local
economy.
During the first half of f y 20
2623 sub recipient agreements
utilized approximately 28.7
million in whole or in part
from grant funding were
executed.
Additionally three contracts
totaling approximately $122,000
and hud Capital Fund program
funding were also executed.
That concludes our
informational report and we're
happy to answer any questions
you MAY have.
All right.
Thank you for the work.
Thank you for the presentation.
Clark, please proceed with
public comment.
>> If you can please come
forward to the microphone And
after that is Anthony Ralphs.
>> Just because I wish that you
guys did all these things that
you talk about like you do good
presentations and whatnot But I
mean it's scary to think about
where this youth homeless
funding is going to go When you
give out money you you don't
ensure that it's being used
properly, that people aren't
being abused.
I mean, again, I'm going to
bring up Tent City and Lot and
the fact that like I don't know
the exact number but it's close
to 40 people have died at Tent
City since it's in session.
And Sean, you said you were
even going to look into it.
You said you care about
homeless, that you've been
homeless.
Why doesn't it matter that
those people are dying?
Why does it matter that Ciara
died on Friday?
Why does it matter that people
are being raped there?
They're like there's rats and
infestations but people are
losing their lives there.
And I just I really don't
understand why someone like
Steven will I get why he would
Because he's an arrogant son of
a And that's why he laughed in
my face when Tammy died and why
he doesn't give a that this
older woman died on Thursday
and a woman named Sierra died
on Friday.
How many more?
I've asked you guys this for
years now.
How many people is enough that
you will do something about
tent City Bro What's the number
Is 100 Is it You know like what
What is is that threshold where
it's like oh that death really
matters Where we really should
do something about that.
I mean you're in litigation
federal court for it and you
guys were supposed to bring a
response today and we'll see
what what you've said.
But how many is enough I guess
if it's not your child it
doesn't matter.
>> Anthony Robles.
>> Afternoon City Council I
like to think our city
employees for the presentation
was a good presentation.
Thankful for all
the information that's been
brought forth today.
Um I do have concerns as a
member of the public with some
of the oversight with regard to
some of these facilities has as
has been mentioned by Audra.
I would hope that we could look
into that.
I'd hope that we could be more
accountable with the funds, how
these funds are spent and
ultimately how these services
are delivered to the people.
I have no problem with these
funds going to these programs
and helping people that need
help.
I would just hope that we could
follow up on the oversight and
the supervision and make sure
that these programs are as
effective in helping people as
possible.
With regard to the point that I
was trying to make earlier,
there's a San Diego community
planner's committee letter
probably was left for all of
y'all.
And it says these organization
organizations exist and provide
a meaningful pathway into local
government talking about
the importance of having
members of planning groups
participate in the discussions
and how we serve as liaison
between some of the policies
that are implemented here and
members of the general public
understanding some of
the policies that you all
implement.
I know that this was already
discussed in Item se for a one
but I just wanted to address it
now within the context of
saying we can provide that
opportunity to help some of
these issues become more better
known to the public especially
with regard to the Housing
Commission.
The grants, the agreements that
are made.
But it's in our best interest
to have you all support with
regard to the human rights
issues, the privacy issues,
the constitutional amendment
issues this morning the Supreme
Court handed down a decision
with regard to all of our
privacy concerns with regard to
our location database tracking.
I will mention that and non
agenda public comment thank you
started the five minute time
are going to those
participating remotely Hector
if you can please unmute after
that is 8700 and then Blair
Beekman.
>> It's great for you guys
pursue all the grants it's
great man Just get on some more
grants It also throughout
the city but there's also like
been talk about taxing the rich
so if you want to tax I'm all
for taxing the rich politicians
like Scott Peters has got $600
Million on Google and Sarah
Jacobs got 60 million But she's
related to MR. Jacobs who's got
like a trillion I wouldn't tax
him.
Let's just put a tax on
the wealthy politicians that
are in our purview.
You and maybe just that million
dollars a year to go to
the housing fund and see how
they like it will set the rich
politician as $10 Million So if
you got 10 million you should
be able to afford not counting
your house like you other house
and the lawyer that is down But
if you got 10 million somewhere
that's called rich and we'll
just put $1 million a year tax
on the politicians and even
some of your cronies below you,
they might be sitting there
talking to people.
They might be loaded no kind of
trust fund kids or something.
But anyway that's what
the Housing Commission just one
house set a time target one
house and try to make it work.
However the grants flow or
the people that live there see
what happens and just one house
at a time.
It's it's going to be hard to
compete with guys with billions
of dollars and to them it's
just a candy store.
They're looking at that
property and it's going to be
hard for the city to match
the funds or it's going to be a
kind of it's going to be hard
to do.
The guys are paying them double
What you guys are paying
Anyway, good luck.
>> 8700 If you can please
unmute Joy Senator thank you.
San Diego Housing Commission I
love grants and I have been
concerned about grants due to
the way things have been
unfolding the last few years So
it looks like you're doing
better with the competitive
grants because at one point I
thought we were going to form a
working group and analyze what
was happening on our not
getting competitive grants and
that never did happen.
I don't know what happened to
that working group But anyway
it looks like things are really
so that applied in a very good
way.
So thank you very much San
Diego Housing Commission for
that and keep up the work when
we have that other item today
on on the Opportunity Fund I
was surprised to see that list
Nine of the people on that list
had zero grant money come in.
So you know, I think it is it's
much less and that's sad.
So hopefully that will change
and philanthropists to me are
definitely invited to the table
as all income levels are
invited to our table and we can
have a conversation of working
together.
So thank you Congressman Scott
Peters so very much for your
work for California and for San
Diego And thank you
Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs also
for your help with the grants.
You are very appreciated as are
all people that work together
to to make our city work and to
make all levels of people work
together.
That is so appreciated.
I love to all of you That
completes your comments.
Yes.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Blair Bateman If you can please
unmute.
>> All right.
Thank you Big Ben.
Really nice to have a comment
from Joy.
Thank you.
>> I learned a lot from what
you just said Grants is a is a
new process to me.
>> I find it an interesting
process to be learning about
how our government can function
and find ways of funding and so
thank you for this item and
good luck how this can develop
.
>> Thank you.
Thank you John If you can
please on you.
Yes Thank you for all Thank you
again.
Hello.
Hello John Brady with
Experience Advisors Thank you
again for this update.
I you know I think as we are
looking forward to another
three years we need to be
planning for even more cuts and
and and really I guess where my
frustrations are as I see
the country and therefore our
own city heading in a very dark
direction when it comes to our
support for people in need, our
compassion and for people that
have been impacted by any
number of life struggles and a
seemingly comfortable I guess
they comfortable way that they
society at large wants to
accept that it's okay to blame
the victim And I don't know how
we reverse that but I do know
that it does need a unified
political voice locally here
that is clearly saying we can't
do this to our own people.
We can't do this to our
neighbors, we can't do this to
our grandparents.
We can't do this to our family
members.
We can't do this to even those
strangers.
We don't have.
But we've got more belt
tightening folks And these
decisions are going to get even
harder as we move forward.
>> Thank you.
That does include public
comment for this item.
All right.
Thank you, city clerk.
And with that I'll turn it over
to my colleagues.
This is an information item so
no motion is required.
>> I'll go to Council member
Whitburn.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you for
this report.
Applying for these grants is
critical work.
It's a lot of work and
the effort that you put into it
is very much appreciated.
Understanding that this report
gives us the status as of
the end of last year DECEMBER
31st that there were six
pending grants at that time.
Do you know if we've heard of
any of those pending six grants
since then?
I fear that at your fingertips
if you don't we can follow up.
But I'm curious if you've heard
one way or the other.
>> Yeah, I don't have that
information in my fingertips
right now but we have heard
back on probably most of them.
Yeah.
And we can certainly provide
you with that information.
Thank you.
We did get some good news late
on Friday.
Not part of this program but
that the state's hap program is
going to be fully funded during
the last budget And this MAY be
a question for Lisa.
We were forced to cut 50 beds
at the 60 Newton shelter
because there wasn't enough
money to fund them all.
Understanding that we got this
news late Friday and you know
it's the middle of the day on
Monday.
Do you have any idea yet
whether the full funding will
enable us to keep those 50
beds?
>> No, I don't.
It's wonderful to see
the amount of funding that has
come through and for the state
to really step up And I think a
lot of the advocacy that
happened with this council and
with this mayor MAY have to
make that happen.
And shelter is definitely an
eligible use for those funds.
But we'll need to meet with
the city's Homeless Strategies
and Solutions department
obviously have conversations
with Council and the mayor
about where that funding can
go.
>> Okay.
Thank you very much.
Appreciate that And thank you
again for all the work to bring
in funding and thank you
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you Council member
whitburn.
I don't see anybody else lights
I'll just have my thank you for
the good work and clearly you
have the secret sauce of going
after grants and securing
the wins on that.
So when there's too little
resources it's incredibly
important to do that.
Good work.
So thank you.
>> Thank you.
With that we will now proceed
with the approval of
the Housing Authority minutes.
>> clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
>> Thank you.
The public comment period for
the housing authority minutes
is now open and please note
each speaker will have three
will have one minute per item
per person up to a maximum of 3
minutes or 3 minutes on
the agenda.
Tuesday, MAY 12th, 2026 Regular
Meeting Tuesday, JUNE 9th, 2026
Regular meeting and Monday,
JUNE 15th, 2026 Special meeting
and allegedly order if you can
please come forward.
>> You'll have three minutes to
speak on all three dates.
>> So you're talking about
bonds for housing homeless
programs, litigation and these
three meetings and you know
we're getting in debt to
pretend to provide housing.
I just find it extremely
difficult to like proceed when
you guys hear people have died
in your programs and it doesn't
bother you enough to go, We
should really look into that.
>> We should figure out why
this is happening.
>> I mean, Steven why why
aren't you doing that?
Why is it funny to you?
>> Everything done in the dark
will come to the light And it
does And it's sad because it's
like I mean these people are
put in like a prison there.
You guys spend money at Tent
City to put up a fence that is
a wired like the ones that
usually have the spikes going
out.
Like you go to a hotel and you
see it because you don't want
someone coming in But it tent
city they're facing in like
these people can't get out and
you put them in fire danger by
continuing to add tents and
it's like you can't even see
your way out of there and
there's no fireworks Seeing
wishers if there was a fire in
Fenton, all is being dealt
there and people are dying on
it on a regular basis And yet
Dreams for Change continues to
get more funding because that's
your friend Stephen and that's
why you don't give a that
these people are dying.
That's like three people a
month so far this year and
everybody just sits there like
who cares?
And you wonder why people don't
trust you.
I'm not talking about someone
taking a out on the sidewalk
which happens all the time to
allow people to come and clean
it up.
I'm talking about a life lost
and you guys sit up here and
act like you care about people
But this falls upon deaf ears
and we just keep giving them
more money.
Make it make sense.
Why don't their lives matter
enough to like question what's
going on to go?
Maybe we should look into this
funding, make sure it's really
going somewhere that is
beneficial to people.
I mean if Theresa Smiths wants
people to stay there as long as
possible I mean that's
terrifying and literally they
die before they'll ever get
into housing.
>> How sad going to those
participating online.
John Stump if you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items of minutes you
wish to speak to.
Oh excuse me.
I thought this was public
comment.
They'll be next.
I'll come back to you John
Please let me know which item
or items you wish to speak to
on the minutes.
I'm sorry at that.
This public comment goes well.
I have you We'll come back to
you right now Blair Beekman on
the minutes Well where do you
know where Big Ben I'm going to
wait to for public comment
Sorry about sorry.
>> Okay.
That does conclude the public
comment on the minutes or I
think you said sorry or I think
you city Clerk And with that
I'm going to make a motion to
approve the minutes.
Can I get a second
Councilmember Marina Beach out
Not anybody else seeking to
speak So motion by myself and
the second by Councilmember
Moreno.
Clerk please call the roll.
>> I'm sorry The voting system
Please cast your vote That
passes unanimously 6 to 0 with
Council member Campo,
Councilmember Yvonne Wolpert
and Councilmember Foster
absent.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
We will now adjourn as a
housing authority and reconvene
as the City council and take up
non agenda public comment.
Council members respect and
appreciate the public's input.
I fully committed to protecting
every participant's free speech
rights at council and committee
meetings.
>> Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Per rule 2.7
on agenda Public comment is an
opportunity for members of
the public to comment on items
that are not on the agenda but
within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the City
Council.
Each speaker will have two
minutes.
Please note if there are eight
or more speakers on a single
topic the maximum time for
the topic will be 16 minutes.
If you're in chambers please
submit your speaker slip If
you're joining us virtually
please raise your hand to speak
by tapping the raise your hand
icon or if you are calling on
Participant Star nine allegedly
Audrey if you can please come
forward And then Anthony Ralph
so he can please come to
the yellow reserved seats at
the front of the room.
It's interesting I wasn't here
earlier because I was in care
court now for myself.
But hearing what they're going
to do with Andrea being and
it's such an educational
experience just observing
things like a board like this
being in court and seeing how
they use competency And then I
think about how I'm telling you
guys about people dying that
are part of your community and
that involve really people
don't care.
So I would think I mean you
guys should be evaluated for
competency to see I mean are
you you you know if you don't
really care about human life
but you're saying that you do I
mean perhaps you're incompetent
and perhaps you guys should be
sent to one of the psychiatric
facilities and medicated until
you can be deemed competent.
Right.
And somebody like me because
this is how it goes Like
someone like you guys would
deem me incompetent because I
don't go along with your
ideologies.
So imagine someone like me
doing that to you and saying
that the way that you feel is
means that you are incompetent
.
It's interesting the way
the world works and if you
don't just kind of capitulate
and go along and conform then
you're seen as somebody who
needs their behavior changed
And it's like I literally could
say that about you guys seeing
that you don't care that people
are dying all while professing
that you do.
>> But it's interesting the way
that it's used to silence
people And sure there's people
that are incompetent
potentially and need help and
wouldn't be able to, you know,
go through trial.
>> But when it's literally
being used to silence the truth
about the people that are
actually engaged in this care
court and whatnot, what a smart
weapon to use.
You know what I'm saying?
But imagine being that person.
Thank GOD it's not you guys.
Right?
Right.
Maybe it'll be one of your
children.
>> Who knows?
We'll see who's in charge.
Anthony Rose Yes, I will read
today's reading from
the Supreme Court.
But first I just want to
acknowledge that there is an
inherent conflict of interest
between those that want to
leave work early and can do so
with a short workday with which
is facilitated by minimal
public engagement and those
members of the public that wish
to have a robust, engaged,
fully informed discussion that
often requires extended hours
of additional city council
participation.
So when the vast majority of
your constituents demand you
respect our concept of our
constitutional protected
privacy rights over your own
esdp sponsored perception of
public safety, it sends us
the message that you prioritize
getting off work early over
doing your job.
So here's the article You've
probably had a chance to read
it But this morning the Supreme
Court ruled that when law
enforcement officials used a
geofence warrant a warrant that
instructed Google to provide
location data for cell phone
users who were near a
particular place during a
specified time period to obtain
evidence used to convict a
Virginia man of a 2019 bank
robbery.
They conducted a quote search
for the purposes of the Fourth
Amendment By a vote of 6 to 3
the justices sent Okello
Patrice's case back to
the lower court for it to
consider whether his Fourth
Amendment requires the search
was quote reasonable.
Writing for the majority,
Justice Elena Kagan emphasized
that quote An individual has a
reasonable expectation of
privacy in records about his
cell phone's location and
police intrude on that
constitutionally protected
interest when they demand
the information even though for
only a limited time and from a
third party tech company there
we have it the Supreme Court
decided this morning that our
location data on our on our
cell phones is not fair game
for third party applications to
be utilized to track us.
That should be a clear cut case
.
>> There are lawsuits all over
the state of California against
Floc Thank you for that
concluding remark Five minute
time We're going to those
participating online.
We currently have nine speakers
in the queue starting with
John.
>> If you can please unmute.
>> Good evening City Council.
My first comment is that public
comment should be at
the beginning of the meeting or
you should at least provide
the opportunity for a number of
people to speak at
the beginning of the meeting.
Because in part public comment
is so that our voices are heard
not only by us, not only by you
but other members of
the community.
Secondly, I want to explain to
you what it's like to be a
target.
I have had my rb now for two
years.
I have regularly parked it on
the nearby overpass where semi
tractor trailers parked
limousines, other commercial
businesses, vehicles got junk
trailers.
>> But for the moment until
the moment somebody was
identified as living in there
And then I became a marked
vehicle.
So now 17 members of
the community policing
department are out and actively
aware of where my vehicle is
And now I've got 275 to $75
ticket with no warning for
trying to help.
That's my office.
That's the place we used to do
surveys.
That's the place I've never
allowed anybody to live on it
at least while I was out in a
public space.
So I'm a little in shock here
how quickly we're able to act
on that.
>> But we can't pick up a911
call.
We've got to figure out where
our priorities are.
And right now going into this
whole budget negotiation, I
thought homelessness was off
the table.
And then I thought well, we're
going to cut the new center not
one member of the Community
Budget Alliance or any of
the other people that I know
that advocate for homeless
individuals had any clue when
that went through that it was
going to permanently close
the neon good day center.
We've been your close partner
on this and I'll tell you I
feel violated.
Our trust is gone.
And that's a sad place to be.
>> Thank you, Blair Beckman If
you can place on you.
All right.
Thank you.
Plan b friends?
Yeah.
I thought we were working on a
six day plan for the future of
New York State Center.
I was pretty shocked in what
you've decided.
I understand your decision and
how it can be working.
But the previous speaker is
offering a lot of good public
comment What we actually need
within the data center and we
have to be having that
conversation more openly and
regularly.
As I've been mentioning myself
I've been trying to mention
John is up in the actual words
Good luck in that effort.
So what we can be talking about
openly and I also wanted to
mention there's been a lot of
talk about encampment issues
You know, or the government
sponsored camp I heard before
here you know that instead of
you know, the 2 to 300 person
site in San Diego, San Jose's
model, they work, you know, in
a much smaller frame you know,
35 to 50, 25 to 35 spaces for
people.
We can have one space in San
Diego to say 100 people and
then you know, create 3 or 4
little smaller spaces that I
think we can much better manage
people and people will just be
dying the way they currently
are.
This large encampment is
creating a lot of again and we
got to really consider our
different options from that.
So good luck on those efforts.
Good luck that we can be
listening to Andrea Evans case
what she can be doing, what we
can be doing for her so she can
be free and regular She
deserves it.
I thank you for the words of
Anthony.
She actually mentioned concepts
that we're working on in 2018
We stopped something in 2018.
Good work.
We can continue what he's
talking about and from that
really address your issues in
real time.
There's a lot of subtlety in
what he said and how he can and
can't work that we need to more
openly address And I'll talk
about more tomorrow a lot more
I need to say good luck with
our public process right now,
concluded Francine Maxwell.
>> If you can please on your
Nancy Maxwell Southeastern San
Diego resident I want to thank
the council for the education
that came when I was
misdirected.
Really appreciate that.
Now let's parlay that since
there are so many upcoming
legislative breaks, let's do it
Educational series.
Let's go to some parking risks
and let's make sure that we try
to educate the community all
year long.
I would like your first thing
to be educational wise How can
Steve Cushman be an advisor to
the city, to the mayor's office
and be on the Housing
Commission?
So it would seem like that
would be a conflict to me.
I completely understand that
everybody is looking for their
next gig and so Steve Cushman
is not looking for his next gig
because he's pretty much
running our city.
But the mayor is absolutely
parlaying his dc trips and so
maybe he's looking to get a
position in hud or something.
>> We don't have all
the receipts but it seems like
elected officials continue to
hold things close to the vest
And when somebody needs a good
piece of press things come out
very appreciative of District
nine sharing with my neighbors
that our elected official is on
official business Love our
neighbor National City Council
member markets took a picture
of our council member on a bus
with our Board of Supervisors
vice chair just wonderful
communication through social
media.
So we're hoping that in
the newsletter there will be a
report in reference to
the Baltimore official trip.
>> Again, all city officials
take all of these official
trips.
You sit on other boards and
commissions, some of them are
paid, some of them are not.
But there never an educational
component or a component to
the constituents.
So let's do better.
Let's begin to educate the next
generation.
Thank you.
8700 If you can please unmute
8700 city for committees so I
can shape my comments is this
each day this is not agenda
public comment for the whole
meeting for the for the city
council meeting yes but there
was no agenda Public comment No
because it was a special
meeting for you.
Okay Thank you.
We just catch my breath here a
minute.
Had two plans so we will need
to start your time out.
I think you I need to finish on
this because I.
I don't know.
I'm coming strictly from
extemporaneous and then I think
I need to begin to get it out
of joy to I voted yes for this
week since we think
the ordinance a small minority
voted yes I'm never forget that
day and here we are That's what
we to where we are now And let
me tell you that I still
believe in our case.
We think of and pivot away from
that.
I'm using a lens to look at
the world.
It's different for each of us
that's proven scientifically
and to my lens I can't see all
the ugliness I'm hearing.
I don't I've never witnessed it
yet.
I respect the people that are
sharing their truth So I'm I to
become sort of a rock and a
hard place.
I worked with the homeless for
20 years.
David lost both my hair
the water man He lived in
the trenches Not really that he
lived there as a hero and he
told me a lot And these people
they have stories that are
beyond belief So we transition
them from the streets into an
enclosed space.
He could save sleeping sight,
make it safe and comfortable
and take care of them.
I don't know.
It's a big transition.
Let's talk more later with Joel
.
Thank you, Kathleen Lippert.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Council and the public drug
policy researcher.
I follow drug research and best
practices for decades.
The year to year data is
important but it is the long
term trend of drug use that are
that are the best indicators of
a city's policies Whether or
not they're preventing harms or
contributing to collateral
damage.
The report I want to share
today with Council is from
the American Society of
Addiction Medicine, which
followed cannabis policy
changes from 2009 to 2018.
The researchers studied
pediatric exposures of children
under six years old to
marijuana which were stable
between 2000 and 2009.
But beginning in 2010
the increase of more than
6,000% in pediatric exposures
to marijuana it was found oral
ingestion was found to be
responsible for the majority of
exposures in young children.
A concurrent prospective cohort
found that virtually all of
the of the effects were from
hospital admissions in the U.S.
And Canada For those under ten
years old for severe toxicity
from marijuana was from
ingestions of edible
preparations.
The negative effects on
children's health public health
policy adjustments are
warranted.
Please the city should consider
the manufacturers that it
allows the small shops that
continue to sell such broad
edible products without any
oversight or regulations And
these are the products that are
getting into the hands of
children They need to be
protected.
>> I hope you will do that.
Thank you.
Your time has concluded.
The five minute time are also
concluded and there are eight
speakers in the queue.
No additional speakers will be
taken.
>> Barbara Gordon If you can
please unmute Thank you.
As a public health educator
concerned about the lack of
Smokefree policies, I wanted to
share with you a peer review
study regarding comprehensive
Smokefree laws and
cardiovascular disease
mortality in U.S. Counties.
This was published in
the Journal of American Medical
Association just JUNE of 2026.
The research examined
comprehensive Smokefree Laws
Associate it with long term
changes in cardiovascular
disease mortality at the county
level in the us.
The 2026 county level study
found that counties adopting
comprehensive smokefree laws
were associated with lower
cardiovascular mortality over
roughly a decade compared to
similar counties that did not
adopt such law.
These findings are consistent
with decades of research
showing that comprehensive
Smokefree policies reduce
exposure to secondhand smoke
and are associated with
improvement of cardiovascular
health.
The strongest evidence supports
Smokefree laws of any kind
tobacco or marijuana indoors or
outdoor public places without
exception showed an average
reduction of about 12
cardiovascular death per 100
people in this year.
I think for city councils and
local health departments that
we can reduce exposure tobacco
and marijuana secondhand smoke
by enacting comprehensive well
enforced smokefree ordinances
along with it doing public
health education and it will
improve the lives of all San
Diego.
Thank you for letting me speak
Ernie Casco If you can please
unmute Brant Colorado Ernie
Casco Lawyer Resident Attention
District Attorney The end
concern of Torrey Pines Dog
Park Ongoing dispute The Dear
Ernie email I received from cp
p is completely unacceptable
unacceptable It fails to
address serious allegations
made to City Council John
LaCava and San Diego Police
Department itself.
It it completely ignores
the victims and witnesses and
the ongoing criminal activity
and public safety concerns that
tweet my slide report My first
question is is where are
the police reports addressing
the victim and witnesses?
Residents should not be forced
to sign an access pass waiver
under the threat of violence.
I receive unanimous letters of
support from the town council,
the Hoyt Shores Association and
the University Community
Planning Group to stop this
crime.
Yet the court issues remain
ignored while problems continue
.
I have experienced retaliation
myself Serious injuries and
assaults devastating personal
loss to me and my family
poisoned with a biohazard over
the commercialization of Torrey
Pines Glider part died with
stage four cancer.
I want to see this public park
returned to the people and
protected from future abuse.
I'm asking City Council for
three things.
First, where are the police
reports involving victim and
witnesses?
Let's see them.
Second stop the illegal
collection of public funding in
the private accounts with a
full city audit Until we find
Sly report Where is the money
going?
Third, restore lawful public
access and ensure that no one
is forced into signing waivers.
Time to address the victim and
witnesses and force American
law not administrative law and
stand up for a constitutional
recreational rights and
freedoms.
Thank you.
Ready Casco You kid.
My apologies, Ernie.
Did you want to make any final
comment?
I didn't mean you.
I thought you were dead.
My apologies.
Okay.
You're not a meeting so we will
proceed.
Madison, if you can please.
On.
>> Hello.
Good evening.
City council members with
the 4th of JULY holiday
approaching, I want to briefly
highlight an important public
safety concern drug impaired
driving especially when it
comes to marijuana because
while many people think of
impaired driving primarily in
terms of alcohol, marijuana can
also significantly affect a
person's ability to drive
safely.
It can slow down reaction time
,impair coordination, distort
perception of distance and
speed and reduce overall
attention.
These effects can make it much
more difficult to respond
quickly to changing road
conditions, pedestrians or
other drivers.
One of the challenges with
marijuana impairment is that
people often underestimate it
Unlike alcohol where there are
well-known guidelines and
widespread public messaging,
many individuals do not fully
recognize how long marijuana
can impair judgment or how it
can affect driving even hours
after use.
This can lead to risky
decisions such as driving too
soon after consumption or
assuming they are fine to drive
when they are not during
holiday periods like the 4th of
JULY when there is increased
travel, social gatherings and
celebrations the risks become
even more significant.
More cars on the road combined
with impaired driving increased
the higher potential for
preventable accidents and
injuries.
I encourage our community to
prioritize planning ahead this
holiday using designated
drivers, rancher services or
other safe transportation
options If substances are being
used, public awareness and
personal responsibility can go
a long way in preventing
tragedies.
Thank you and I wish everyone a
safe and happy holiday.
Thank you.
John Stump Oh John Stump Want
to talk about three things
the recent election I don't
think the results in District
four or in the controversial
districts in New York City is a
reflection that people want
socialism.
I think it's more reflection.
They want change and they're
not They're dissatisfied with
the return they're getting in
response are getting from
elected officials They want
change.
Secondly, in today's newspaper
there was a report about
the separation or retirement of
the ceo of Community Power.
Community power is very fat.
There's 150 employees who make
salaries much greater than
the city of San Diego and
community power doesn't do
anything.
It's just an aggregator.
It doesn't generate or
distribute the council members
that are in community power
should be looking at the wages
paid.
Their third I need the city
clerk to call me concerning
the notice of appeals there's
an appeal scheduled for next
week the seventh and completely
misunderstands what is being
done in an appeal.
The City Council is acting as a
hearing body as judges and yet
the mayor and the staff who are
the group being appealed
against are being given status
in that appeal different than
the appellant So that process
either needs to be re noticed
or changed and concluded Hector
he complains on you.
>> All right thanks.
I'm just so disappointed and
I'm not surprised at
the outcome of the California
budget how we didn't get
millions of dollars to fix our
sewer plant.
Where's our 3 or 400 million to
have a state of the art sewer
plant at the border?
It's a joke.
It's the blind leading
the blind.
You end up smelling Mexican
for another decade.
Come on, man.
We need we need a railroad high
speed from Fresno to
Bakersfield funded another
couple billion.
Where's our money?
But come on, you guys, you got
to be embarrassed.
How could you have your kids
that sewer gas growing up?
You know?
Come on.
What are you going to tell
them?
Why don't they ask the dad?
How do you smell that?
How come we live here?
How What's going on?
Blame.
Blame the Democratic Party.
You can't blame Mexico.
They don't got their together
.
They're only like building $1
billion highway above Tijuana.
Yeah, which is if you live
below that today, you better be
heavily into the Catholic
Church with their rosary beads
at night when they earthquake
comes, that thing's going down
bad And then there's going to
be a flood, a sewer gas even
more when that sewer breaks
again over there it's it's
frankly it's embarrassing And
don't use the expression
America's finest city until we
have it all areas of the city
and county until we have a
sewer plant that can handle
Tijuana's sewage.
It's just disgusting that it's
just it's totally disgusting.
So anyway, the next time I'm
I'm looking forward to next
year when everyone gets
deported is that'd be great.
Round them up, man.
Your time is concluded.
Jodi Strang, if you can please
unmute.
>> Good afternoon City Council
Thank you for this opportunity
to share some thoughts.
Perhaps you saw as I did
the press conference on Friday
regarding legislation that's
been supported by our Senator
Catherine Blake or as well as
assembly person Lori Davis.
It's sb 936 that would prohibit
the sale of natural nitrous
oxide canisters that are larger
than eight grams.
Noxious oxide joins a group of
other products being sold at
gas stations, Vape stores smoke
shops across our city that are
being purchased by our young
people in particular they join
Create Them which is another
product that's illegal to sell
that we're selling it in our
city Nevertheless as well as
magic mushrooms and hemp
products that contain over
limit And thus we get these
high concentrated thc products
hiding under hemp products.
Sb 936 nitrogen oxide can cause
serious damage to people who
are inhaling them which tend to
be our young people
particularly brain damage.
It seems to have its main
effect neurologically and in
many instances it has caused
death.
If you have an opportunity as a
city council to support
legislation and I know that you
do and you have a lobbyist I
would suggest you add sb 936 to
your list Be a wonderful thing
for our city council to
recognize the role of these
drugs primarily sold in our
city at gas stations,
convenience stores, vape stores
and change the course of
the young people's lives who
are using them.
Thank you.
Natalie Raskin If you can
please unmute them after that
is backing up.
>> Hi Natalie Rush key here I
agree with I think her name was
Maxine There should be more
education within the public in
educating on how the system
works and how the items work
and being informed so that when
they do have the opportunity to
come speak they understand what
they're speaking on and about
and not just calling in and
making random random
statements.
>> I'm also concerned with this
possibility of a sun break
ranch with all the things that
are going on and these cuts no
backup plan.
>> I'm really doing some
research as Maxine stated with
Steve Cushman Now I'm starting
to go down a rabbit hole
because if it's not Sun Break
ranch then what is it?
Transparency I think is
necessary for me and my family.
>> And it also seems that
the county is starting to go
this direction as in now
reframing homelessness as
mental illness and addiction
which I have neither of those
but yet I will still be in this
possible homeless category.
Also what's concerning to me is
that I was reading our tfa
teachers data and how many
people have entered
homelessness and how many
people exited.
I have came to learn that they
do not do statistics past 18
months of a person staying
housed or unhoused And these
are certain things that I think
we should be keeping track of
because if we're not keeping
people housed then we're just
doing this vicious cycle and
it's causing distrust amongst
our community and the unhoused
people and they don't want to
have any.
Sir, your time has come.
Thank you.
Becky Rapp, if you can please
unmute.
>> Good evening.
My name is Becky Rapp and
tonight I would like to share
with the council what I shared
with the active transportation
and Infrastructure Committee
last week.
As I am concerned for road
safety and the real
consequences of reducing
staffing in program that
support Vision Zero.
>> Traffic deaths continue to
be a serious public safety
issue and nationally about one
third of fatal crashes involved
in per driver.
That includes not only alcohol
but also drugs including
marijuana.
Federal data proves that many
drivers involved in fatal
crashes test positive for
marijuana.
When we reduce staffing for say
for traffic safety, we're not
simply cutting back on
positions, we're weakening
education planning and
enforcement efforts that help
prevent crashes before they
happen.
At the same time, California is
advancing assembly Bill 2697
which would allow local
governments to authorize drive
thru marijuana sales at
licensed pot shops.
The bill has already passed
the Assembly and continues to
move through the Senate.
This proposal moves us in
the opposite direction of
Vision Zero.
It's also important to know
that there's nothing in
the bill prohibiting adults
from purchasing pot products
while children are sitting in
the back seat of the car.
That sends the wrong message to
families and undermines our
efforts to protect public
the young people.
If we're serious about
eliminating traffic deaths, we
should not be reducing vision
zero resources Why Policies are
being advanced that could
increase the convene instead of
purchasing intoxicating
products.
So I urge this council to
consider the importance of
transportation, transportation
safety.
Continue investing and Vision
zero and publicly oppose ab
2697.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
knowledge and a public comment
on today's meeting.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
And with that does the office
of the city attorney have
anything to report out from
closed session?
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
There's no report out from
closed session.
>> All right.
Thank you.
We have one adjournment in
memory by council member
Moreno.
>> I respectfully request that
the council adjourn today's
meeting in memory of MISS
Veronica Medina, a committed
and influential member of
the San Isidro community.
MISS Medina peacefully passed
away on JUNE 19th, 2026.
MISS Benita was a natural
leader with a kind heart.
Her dedication, compassion and
humility were evident in her
work with the San Isidro Youth
and Families.
As the coordinator of Pupil
Services ses at the San Ysidro
School District during the many
years I had the privilege of
knowing her through her
community work and our time
together in the San Isidro
Women's Club.
MISS Medina's presence was
unfair unforgettable.
Her laughter alone would have
let you know she was in
the room.
The same warmth, grace and joy
guided the way she served
others and reflected the hope
she carried for the San Isidro
community.
She made it her mission to
improve the lives of students
outside of the classroom.
In doing this she provided
students with the external
foundation needed to be able to
learn.
This commitment was reflected
in her development of
the Primero homeless program
which aimed to eliminate
barriers to education for
students and families
experiencing homelessness.
Through her work, MS. Medina
built a strong network of
community partnerships that
connected students families to
mental health services, housing
assistance, food resources and
other essential support for
daily life.
MS. Medina cultivated a safe
and welcoming environment where
she was known as a trusted
colleague, advocate, mentor and
friend.
Throughout her life MS. Medina
was recognized many times for
her service and dedication And
today we honor her
contributions and ensure that
her impact on the San Isidro
youth families and the broader
community will never be
forgotten.
My deepest condolences to her
son Nathaniel, whom she loved.
Dearly and MAY she rest in
peace.
>> Thank you, Councilmember
Moreno.
And with that we will now
adjourn Council to
the regularly scheduled council
meeting on Tuesday, JUNE 30th,