at
White.
>> All right.
Good morning.
We're going to get started.
I will now call the city
council meeting of Tuesday,
JULY 14th, 2026 to order.
Clerk please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
member Campbell here.
Council Member Whitburn here.
Council Member Foster.
Council Member Von Wilber
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
here Council Member Campo
Council Member Moreno Present
Council Member Eli Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT LaCava.
Present also attend the meeting
Our city Attorney Heather
Ferber 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.
We will begin this morning with
the land acknowledgment and
the Pledge of Allegiance led by
council member Lauren Wolpert.
Please stand if you are able.
>> We respectfully acknowledge
that the culmination are
the original inhabitants of
the Unceded land now known as
San Diego.
Despite enduring the horrors of
genocide and colonization,
the community spirit remains
unbroken.
We honor the resilience of
their ancestors who fought to
protect their culture and land.
Today they carry the legacy
forward ensuring that their
traditions continue to thrive
and gratitude and strength We
stand at the culmination
connected to our past and
committed to a thriving future.
Please turn and face the flag.
>> Ready?
Begin.
But you had to give stands One
nation under GOD indivisible
with 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 does review how
the public can offer their
public testimony during today's
meeting.
Please note the time
allocations for proclamations
and consent items for meeting
management purposes and
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
come to the speakers up looking
at the entrance of chambers and
bring it to the front of
the room and place it in
the clear box.
Council ambassadors are
available near the entrance and
can assist with questions and
speaker slips.
No organized presentations were
submitted for today for any of
the items on the agenda.
No further in-person testimony
will be taken once the council
begins Virtual testimony.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you, City Clerk And as a
reminder when you speak to an
item on the agenda, please
focus your comments on the item
not agenda.
Public comment is an
opportunity to speak more
freely on anything under
the city's purview.
With that we will now dispense
with the approval of
the proclamation item City
Clerk The Pelican Period
Proclamation is now open.
>> Each speaker will have one
minute per item per person.
If you would like to speak on
three or more items you'll have
a maximum of three minutes.
The proclamation items being
approved are items 3830 1s5
hundred s5o7 and s508
Maximillian Schmidt If you can
come forward you're speaking on
items 3031 and s 500 you will
have three minutes If I can
have the following individuals
please come forward to
the yellow reserved seats Cielo
Kim and Daniel on item as 508
and Blair Beekman on items 30
and as 508 Please proceed.
Hi.
Um I think that we should try
to make less federal influence
in California and give
the power back to the state.
I think having an entire month
on called National Park and
Recreation Month where I love
the national parks but what I
like more are the less
expensive natural areas like
National Forest or blm land or
on even just local hiking
trails where the national park
is also one of the most
expensive public places to go
hiking Coincidentally so to
have an entire month honoring
the national park why don't we
have a month just honoring like
go outside and like go hiking
Because people talk about
the globalization of the world
And I like to talk about
the federalization of
Washington dc's influence on
and where the tax dollars are
going exactly on in the United
States.
So I just would like to say
that for San Diego to have this
new ceremonial agenda for
the rest of San Diego's history
National Park and Recreation
Month, maybe it should have
been go outside and join nature
because on I believe D.C. Is
corrupt and I believe
the federal government is
corrupt And there's a lot
better places on there's lot
better places that our tax
dollars should be going than
straight to the federal
government is what I believe.
I believe that the federal
income tax should be lower.
I believe the national park fee
should be lower.
I think the discovery pass is
too expensive.
It's like over $100 to even
enter the national park And
then once you if you only go
once it could be $23 to on
backpack overnight where
there's also free dispersed
camping in places closed or
national parks I would like to
see our national I think
the price of the national parks
do make it less crowded which
is one reason they have it.
However, I don't want to go
into a unhealthy habit of
glorifying the national park
system and how it could
possibly be even more expensive
And because I think
the national parks are a great
part of this country and I
think it's a really special
part and I just hope that we
can maybe have a month
promoting exercise and banning
all even banning all electric
e-bikes on the sidewalk and
promoting exercise in San Diego
not just for the national parks
specifically.
>> Thank you for that
concluding comment.
Cielo Kim and Daniel All
speaking of items 508 it is one
minute per person are you So
it'll just be consequential So
I'll be putting one minute for
each time and I will ding good
morning My name is Phil
Offensive and I'm here because
of Alina since ever I was in
middle school I would always go
to the library.
I would do my homework and go
read a book And Alina was
always like very or and very
there for the picture.
And then I was a pitcher and I
would go every day and then I
slowly she started me going
every single day And then she
told me if I wanted to join
council which I did And then I
started working at the library
But basically because of her
I'm now a teacher and I just
want to say thank you totally
know for being always so kind
and a heartwarming and being
there for everybody and yeah
thank you.
Thank you.
Interesting.
Hello my name is Kim Williams
speaking on behalf of all of us
I just wanted to thank Alina
for always being there for
everybody for being the mother,
the auntie of the entire Logan
Heights community.
Everything she does is for our
children, for our elderly.
>> I my favorite part of
working with Alina is when
people come up to me and they
share their stories about her
and I always ask that she make
you laugh.
Did she make you feel something
that would make you cry if she
made you cry as a child?
>> You know that there's a big
place you can be around to it
But on my behalf thank you all
enough for everything You have
seen me grow up literally since
I was in kindergarten.
Now I finished my schooling and
I'm working with her and it's
not going to be the same.
>> And yes, I don't think you
Please proceed.
>> Hello.
My name is Daniel.
I'm also here to congratulate
Eileen Process.
I moved to San Diego when I was
13 and I started going to
the same local library that
everybody else went to.
Alina was one of the people
that approached me got me to
join the council.
I certainly volunteered at
the library.
I worked for the library for a
couple of years and I have
slowly grown with the rest of
my team.
I honestly wouldn't be where I
am today professionally or
personally if it wasn't for
Alina.
So I just want to thank you
from the bottom.
Meredith, you know we love you.
>> Thank you.
This is where we come in If you
can please come forward after
that will be allegedly Andre
and then Paul Kruger if you can
please come up to the front row
.
>> Hi.
We are Beekman I am 30 is
National Park and Recreation
Month.
I think it helps a person.
Ron Gilbert He talked about
national park issues at this
time last year.
An interesting item is a lot of
history to our national parks
and what they've done Excuse me
I'm Brooklyn I just had a sort
of in our lives I wish I could
say more.
I take comfort in national
parks.
I think they're an interesting
idea.
Um, I think there was questions
of what proclamation say within
parks and the history lessons
that do those sort of history
lessons need revision and
things good Look how we can be
addressing that.
It's a lot to understand
the changes we're going through
Um but look myself and others
can figure out what those
changes are Um, I guess we will
at some point and for some
things are good Hopefully some
things from our past can stay
and that are respectable as
well.
Good luck in such efforts to
consider and for the arena
Rosa's day thank you for this
item Thank you It's nice that a
librarian is being
commemorated.
I can't could not have gone to
the library early today.
It's hopeful that we're
learning and we made a real
commitment to make our
libraries open all the time and
I hope we can continue those
efforts and how much we've
tried recently That kind of
subjects can be very clear to
us in our future and sounds
like this librarian was really
well liked and had a good role
in the community.
Thank you.
>> Allegedly.
All right.
You're speaking to us by way
3031.
That's 505 seven.
You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed.
You guys, I'm so honored that
you're honoring me in your
proclamations There's an order
a national park.
How cool is that?
It's on the East Coast.
But I just I knew it would come
at some point.
It's okay.
You guys don't have to admit
it.
Yes, With National Parks let's
talk about the things that are
always committed here.
So a lot of missing kids
happened to be taken at
national parks.
Also a lot of unusual activity
I know of you that read
the Bible know about
the naphthalene but they are
still here.
So that's something we need to
be concerned about because
they're going to be seen as
aliens.
That's what they're going to
tell us.
So just keep your eyes open and
have some discernment.
Yes, Micah Person I don't know
I'm sorry.
Day This is interesting because
the Museum of Man turned into
the museum of us just like men
turned into women and we're
erasing things.
So I find that to be
interesting as well.
The cannibal museum that is
there And speaking of missing
children are people that are
found in the Epstein files.
A lot of children have been
eaten.
They also just kind of like to
do it in their satanic rituals.
It's something Hillary Clinton
and you know that stuff that
was found on Anthony Weiner's
laptop pretty terrifying.
>> a lot of guys killed
themselves after seeing that
But and then Coats Disease day
I feel like there's a lot of
things that happen to children
and people that are manmade
weaponization of drugs and you
know spraying things in our
skies or damage happens to our
dna and things like that.
I mean even things that people
do to infants like putting all
this stuff in their bodies when
they're don't need it, that
doesn't help.
And then as far as the library
goes, you know, it's like I
have a problem that we continue
to sexualize children and put
up flags that are, you know,
honoring pedophiles and
glorifying the people who have
sex with children which is
actually rape because you can't
just have sex with the child.
But according to Scott Weiner,
they can consent it.
We're only, you know, ten years
in difference age.
But I would think that
librarians would ensure that
we're not teaching our children
about sex and you know, putting
them in a place to be groomed.
So that's a problem to me is
that we honor people.
But why aren't these people
concerned about children enough
to protect them from things
like this?
And this is why all of these
things that I've been talking
about like the cannibal music
like that gets normalized
Having sex with children gets
normalized and it's glorified
and put over every building.
And so if you are a victim it's
like pretty terrifying to think
that, you know, over a victim
you would honor somebody who
rapes a child.
>> So good job.
Paul Krueger on item 30.
>> Oh, thank you.
I'm really here to just speak
very briefly about
the ceremonial awards in
general and to say I know
you've heard discussion of
moving this portion of
the council meeting to another
time or another day where you
could honor those who who
definitely deserve an honor But
allow the floor of the council
meeting to move faster.
It's a very specific thing
You're doing it, you know,
often involves a photo op for
for you as elected officials
which I understand.
But those of us who come to
speak about more substantial
issues sometimes wait up to an
hour for this portion of
the meeting and I hope that you
will consider moving it.
Maybe you could have it at 9:00
or you could have it on a
different day at a different
time.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment here in council
chambers going to those
participating remotely 8700 if
you can please unmute after
that is Ernie Casco.
Tony and Judy please proceed.
Let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to.
>> 30 Excuse me 3500.
You'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
I want to begin with this
starting this meeting at 10
A.M. Is bumpy yet I want to say
this We are all doing our best.
Thank you And I know we
shouldn't be here They are.
I just think it's it's a
beautiful flow so I want us to
stay with that.
If you believe in that too, I
think you do too.
On the National Parks and
Recreation Month JULY 20th, 26
My favorite part of Park is
that they are a place to heal
and return to wellbeing.
Thank you to all the good
people who keep our parks
the way they are so beautiful
for all of us It's a big job
and my favorite national park
is Yosemite a big thank you to
GOD and his team for infinity
number 500 years to year our
martial Arts academy 30th
anniversary Martial arts
touches all the bases in
fosters greatness in people of
all ages.
I find that in the presence of
people who wear their special
martial arts belts I often feel
a very quiet present.
I often feel a quiet presence
of confidence power in them.
Thank you Marshall Thomas Thank
you MR. Thomas Kai the world
needs more of you.
Thank you for listening to me.
>> I appreciate you being
allowed to speak up to all.
Thank you.
Next is Ernie Casco.
If you can please unmute and
let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to.
>> Yes.
Ernie Casco here.
I'd like to speak on 511
National Park and Retaliation
on 3507 5556 I'm sorry some of
those items that you were said
are consent item agendas
The park and month is
the proclamation So then
they'll be one minute unless
you have something else on
the parks.
>> Yes I actually don't It is
to retaliation for speaking out
on all the proclamations I'm
not allowed to speak So like
what are you starting my
minutes?
>> Are you speaking on all
the proclamations Because like
I said the other items are
retaliation on
the proclamations I should have
more than a minute.
I just need you to identify
which proclamations bravery
speaking on all of them.
I'll give you three minutes.
Please proceed.
755 and 5655 and 56 are consent
items sir So as 507 is just
the proclamation.
That's why I was giving you one
minute.
Well that's not enough, is it?
Okay, well go ahead and start
my minutes.
>> Okay.
I'm already Casco.
There's been serious
allegations brought to City
council concerning Torrey Pines
Blight report and I oppose
issues Resolved.
My first question are where
the police reports and I have
unanimous letters of support
from the turnout I'm going to
be that one that disrupts You
said you want to speak on
that's 5 or 7 Please speak on 5
or 7 and then you can join us
later this morning on that
agenda public comment and you
can speak on whatever you want
to very simple rule them up
until open public comment.
>> Okay.
Thank you very Joe McCarver You
need it Tony, if you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to on the proclamation agenda
The park You'll have a minute.
>> Please proceed Right.
>> I just wanted to say thank
you wanted to say good morning
.
Wanted to comment on some of
the comments that Audrey made
appreciated the jokes,
appreciate the levity and
that's it.
>> Thank you.
Good morning.
Thank you, Judy Strong.
If you can please let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to your final speaker of
the five and minute timer has
concluded.
No additional speakers will be
taken If you please unmute.
>> Yes I wanted to speak to
item 30 Park and Rickman.
Please proceed.
It's about this proclamation.
It mentioned that Parks have
power and they mentioned
several.
The three I was most taken with
is the power of community where
it offers spaces for everyone
to gather and to celebrate and
to heal the power of nature how
it restores and inspires us and
having parks around us ensure
that everyone can have access
to its benefits.
And the third one the power of
well being that park and rec
opportunities advance our help
and resilience and our shared
community benefits.
I think that those of us who
work in public health this is
part of the undercurrent of why
smoke free and vape free parks
and beaches are such an
important part of our
well-being For all of us as
well as our sense of community.
Thank you for let me share my
thoughts.
>> Thank you.
And that concludes public
comment on the proclamations.
All right.
Thank you, City clerk and with
that I'll turn it over to my
colleagues for comments and
entertain a motion And we'll
start with council member
Whitman Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT And thank you to my
colleagues for bringing forward
a number of meaningful
proclamations This morning.
There are obviously a lot of
lederhosen fans here today I
too will serve.
I congratulate at a
distinguished career in our
library department and wish
this process the very best at
her retirement.
I am honored to join Mayor
Gloria in bringing forward a
proclamation declaring like a
Partizan day it recognizes 16
years of leadership a
transformational change at
the Museum of Us and a park
Under his leadership, Mr.
Persson led the transformation
of the San Diego Museum of Man
into the Museum of Us, opened
the California Tower to
the public for the first time
in over 80 years, expanded
access to culture and learning
for thousands of San Diego's
and in doing so helped to
provide free museum access to
nearly 31,000 people in a
single year.
It He also started the museum
to National Recognition earning
the Kaleidoscope Award for good
governance and becoming a two
time finalist for the Institute
of Museum and Library Services
National Medal.
His impact I would say Diego
has really been tremendous and
we wish him the very best as he
moves on to tackle the next
challenge.
And finally just wish everybody
a happy national park and
recreation both to recognize
and thank the employees of
the city's Parks and Recreation
department that our parks
foundation for making our city
parks so special And I will
move approval of
the proclamations.
All right.
Thank you, council members.
So we have a motion by Council
member Whitburn to move
the proclamations and we'll go
next to Council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee Thank you Council
PRESIDENT First off on item 30
I want to thank my colleagues
I'm sorry I want to thank my
colleagues for bringing forth
this proclamation celebrating
National Park and Recreation
Month especially as we
celebrate all that our Parks
and recreation team here and
the city does especially sort
of supported by our Parks
Foundation, which I appreciate
seeing here today.
Next I am going to speak to
item s 500 where I'm proud to
recognize Miramar Martial Arts
Academy for its upcoming 30th
anniversary since 1996 Miramar
Martial Arts Academy has been a
cornerstone of the Mira mesa
and Miramar communities helping
students of all ages build
confidence, discipline,
respect, leadership and a
commitment to personal
excellence through
the traditional Korean martial
art of Tang Sudo.
I would also like to recognize
Master Thomas Tai for his
extraordinary leadership and
dedication over the past three
decades.
Through his mentorship more
than 160 students have achieved
this distinguished rank of
Black belt and countless
families have been positively
impacted by the values and life
lessons taught at the Academy.
His commitment to excellence is
reflected not only in
the success of his students but
also in his achievements as a
member of the su Burrito U.S.
National team and as a master
instructor.
It's no surprise that many
families in our community have
often referenced the positive
impact of Master Tai and his
team have had on young people
every day.
>> And so as we celebrate
Miramar Martial Arts Academy's
30th anniversary, we recognize
its enduring legacy of
community service excellence,
mentorship and empowerment.
And with that we're proud to
proclaim AUGUST 15th, 2026 to
be Miramar Martial Arts Academy
30th anniversary day in
the city of San Diego Since
Master Tom Cy is actually here
in the audience I wanted to
just invite you up if you
wanted to share any remarks for
a moment.
Thank you.
Just want to say thank you for
acknowledging us and giving us
this opportunity.
You know, 30 years ago when I
started the studio I was just a
kind of last kid just got out
of college, just got laid off
from work, didn't have any
where to go And it was just
the passion and the art art and
I just want to try it out and
and I'm just happy that it's
been here this long and got an
opportunity to work with
everyone and really in an honor
to be here and to to be able to
accept to acknowledge this.
So thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
Next on item 507, I want to
thank Councilmember Campbell
for joining me on this
proclamation recognizing Coates
Disease Awareness Day.
If many of you and these
chambers have not heard of
Coates disease before it,
that's exactly why this item is
important.
Coates disease is a rare
congenital and non hereditary
eye disorder characterized by
abnormal development of blood
vessels in the retina resulting
in trauma damage blindness or
even removal of the eyes.
A common disease a common sign
of the disease is Luca chorea
an abnormal white reflection of
the retina and symptoms usually
begin with blurred vision in
one eye which is made more
pronounced with one eye closed
an early warning sign that's
often seen especially with
youth is yellow eyes in flash
photography which is caused by
light reflecting off
the cholesterol deposits in
the eye.
And so if you see that that's
something to be aware of
observed each year on AUGUST
17th Coast disease awareness
Day shines a light on this rare
disease that does not yet have
a cure and affects over 200,000
people in the United States
including thousands in San
Diego.
We also recognize those
affected by Cote's disease and
having their stories told and
their journeys shared.
And I'd like to specifically
thank Paula Henning who's here
in the audience with us.
Paul, a regular attendee of
the Mare Mesa Town Council.
She's helped to bring forward
this proclamation as a member
of the community each year and
she has often shared her story
as someone who personally
understands the significant
impact of Curt's disease.
And Paula, similarly if you'd
like to come forward and share
a few words.
Yeah.
Thank you, Council members.
I'm sorry If you can speak into
a microphone, you can pull them
.
There you go.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
And I do have a grandson that
was diagnosed with the disease
in 2008.
It has been a very devastating
journey but he has progressed
pretty good with it.
He now as of the last year
become blind in one eye.
And what's sad about these
little kids, they don't get
the diagnosis or the treatment
that they have.
A lot of them are in
underprivileged communities
that don't have the eye
examinations.
And like DR. MR. Kant said,
just a flash photography
parents can take a flash
photography and see the glow of
the white or the yellow eye
which is extremely important to
have diagnosed.
It is very expensive for these
kids to go through a disease
regimen.
And there's not that many
people in San Diego which I
hate to say a lot of
the pediatricians and
the ophthalmologists are still
unaware of this condition which
needs to be addressed to help
these kids because it's sad to
see a child lose their vision
or even lose their eye because
of it.
But I want to thank the council
here and I want to mention that
San Diego was the first city to
have the parkland Action for
Coats Disease Awareness in
the United States.
So thank you.
And I want to thank you for
bringing this proclamation on
AUGUST 17th of 2026 to bring
this awareness to the facility
to the communities.
Thank you.
One of the things really goes
to Holland the for her
leadership and her advocacy on
this front.
That concludes my remarks about
PRESIDENT.
Thank you.
All right.
My second that Oh yes, I will
second the proclamation.
All right.
So we have a motion by
Councilmember Whipper and
the second by council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee.
And we'll go next to council
member Campbell.
>> Thank you so much, Council
PRESIDENT.
Congratulations to everyone
receiving plaques today.
And I'm very happy to join my
colleague council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee in proclaiming AUGUST
17th to be Coates Wear Coach
Disease Awareness Day.
In recognition of those who
suffer from this rare disease,
Coates Disease was discovered
by ophthalmologist named George
Coates in 1908.
It occurs in young childhood
and the cause is blood vessels
in the eyes that develop
abnormally resulting in eye
trauma and loss of vision.
There is no known cure for it
but for those fortunate enough
to catch it early treatment can
sometimes slow the progression
and help the symptoms.
It's especially important to
continue to raise awareness
about lesser known diseases
like Coates Disease.
There are people in San Diego
who live with Coates disease.
And we must do everything we
can to support them and their
families.
And thank you for all you have
done to bring awareness.
But by continuing to raise
the awareness about this
disease we can help to support
research and make progress in
treating and as soon as
possible in curing this
disease.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Council Mayor
Campbell.
We'll go next to council member
Eli Rivera.
>> All right.
Thank you, council PRESIDENT.
I want to start by thanking my
colleagues for bringing forward
these proclamations and say
congratulation to all
the recipients.
Very quickly before I speak to
to National Parks and
Recreation but I did want to
say thank you to MISS Rosas for
her service to this city.
The stories that we heard this
morning in public comment were
an incredible testament to
the impact that librarians can
make the libraries can make
public employees can make and
obviously the impact that
you've made has been incredible
and is just such a testament to
the value of public service and
why we appreciate those of you
who've stayed with the city for
such a long time.
These are lifelong memories.
I'm hearing that there are
folks who are now educators
because of the interactions
that they had with you growing
up.
That's just incredibly
inspiring to me And so I want
to say thank you.
As for National Park and
Recreation Month, I will start
by again thank you, my
colleagues for bringing this
forward with us.
>> Parks are more than just
green spaces.
They're where community
happens, where families gather
,kids find joy and neighbors
come together across cultures
and in too many neighborhoods
access to safe quality parks
has been treated like a luxury.
But public space is not a
privilege.
It's a right.
And every San Diego and in
every zip code of our city
deserves a clean welcoming
place to connect, heal and
thrive.
Parks are essential
infrastructure not only for
public health but for climate
resilience.
And as we fight for
environmental justice, we need
to invest in green spaces that
protect the people, protect
people and protect our
environment.
Year after year our parks and
recreation staff have been
asked to do more with less.
And nonetheless they still
continue to show up for our
communities.
And as a result every day youth
and families in San Diego form
connections and memories that
they will carry with them
through the rest of our lives.
And our elders are able to
connect with one another and
continue to find community.
And none of this would be
possible without Parks and Rec
staff and the organizations
that support them.
I want to make sure I provide
special thanks to the park
Foundation and private
charities for everything that
you do to advocate for and
invest in our park and rec
system and to our parks and rec
team here at the city.
Thank you for strengthening our
communities through hosting
cultural celebrations, for
cultivating relationships and
uplifting our neighborhoods and
all of their beautiful
diversity.
So let's celebrate our parks,
honor the public servants who
maintain them and recommit to
building a San Diego where
every child and every family
has access to nature, joy and
community.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Council member
Sheila Rivera.
We'll go next to council member
Moreno Thank you.
>> I have comments on item 30.
National Park and Rec month and
also item s5a1 Elinor Rosas de
item 30 celebrates parks and
RECs across the nation.
And I believe that access to
parks helps create and maintain
healthy communities physically
but also mentally green spaces
throughout our communities
helps lessen the impact also of
climate change and helps
provide shade and cooler areas
for people The people of
District eight absolutely love
and enjoy all the parks
throughout our communities from
Chicano Park and Memorial Park
in the north to Montgomery,
Waller and Cesar Solis in
the South.
But we need more parks in
District eight.
I am very proud to have built
parks where there were once
empty lots.
Those empty lots are now being
transformed to buyer Park
Rivera del Sol Park, Hidden
Trails Park and Grove Park.
Rivera del Sol which was a
vacant lot for 20 years, was
recently opened in
the community of Oceanview
Hills and this year we expect
Phase one of Beier Park to
become an it b to become open
to the public which will be a
major victory for the people of
San Ysidro who have long
watched this site sit unused
for three decades now It will
be a focus of community
activity.
Also Hidden Trails Park is
under construction and Grove
Avenue Park is fully funded as
of JANUARY eight and should be
out to bid.
I think it's really interesting
because we have the Park and
Rec Foundation here and when
they asked me to give them a
tour of our parks I took them
to Grove Avenue Park and we
went inside to the vacant lot
and everybody looked around and
was like Why do you why did you
bring us here?
And I told them I brought you
here because I want you to feel
what District eight residents
feel And I think that was very
powerful And that's why
hopefully what we broke ground
in JANUARY and I expect that
we're in bed But I won't ask
right now.
In the last seven years we've
also refurbished five existing
parks That's Memorial Coral
Gate Robert Eggers, Senior
South Bay Sherman Heights and
Colonel Solomon.
The more parks we have
the stronger and healthier our
communities are And I will
continue to be a fierce
advocate to make sure our
residents have access to parks
in the neighborhoods.
So I'm absolutely honored to
co-sponsor this proclamation
with Council PRESIDENT LaCava
Foster and Isla Rivera as we
proclaim JULY as National Park
and Rec month in the City of
San Diego Item as s508 is MISS
Elinor Rosas day MISS Elinor
Rosas will be retiring from
Logan Heights Library in early
AUGUST after 40 years of public
service to the San Diego Public
Library System and to the Logan
Heights community.
MISS Rosas began her career at
the Logan Heights Library in
1988 when the library was small
but mighty.
MISS Rosas has played a
significant role in the history
of the Logan Heights Library.
She played a role in the grant
development process and even
helped plan the grand opening
of the new Logan Heights
Library that sits just about
200 yards away from the old
Logan Heights Library.
MISS Rosa has brought a
thoughtful library and programs
to the community such as
bilingual library programing
for people of all ages and
hosted Mother's Day
celebrations at the library In
2020 she helped host the
League baseball player Travel
exhibition and a panel as part
of as part of the Black History
Month.
There was a panel that was very
enlightening to see some of
the players that are still
alive and also not forgetting
what Lou what Logan Heights
was.
It wasn't just a Latino
community but it was an African
American community as well and
still is.
And for many years she also
coordinated coordinated annual
free tax preparation events.
>> Earlier this year she helped
coordinate a nationally
significant event with
the United States Postal
Service to unveil the first low
rider stamp here in Logan
Heights Library.
She's MS..
Rosa has has earned a loving
name as the Logan librarian for
her deep and authentic sense of
community.
She has served several
generations of Logan Heights
residents who grew up in
the library.
And as you heard from public
testimony, Logan Heights
Library is not just your
regular library it's community
where innovation happens and
it's a cultural hub.
>> MS. Rosa has served on
the on several committees
including Library Rewards and
Recognition community Committee
as a founding member and later
was nominated to serve on
the San Diego Public Library's
Tactical Plan Committee.
MISS Rosa, thank you for your
continue service for District
eight.
I think you exemplify the very
best of the City of San Diego
Employee You're loving your
caring and you're a dedicated
public servant and I thank you
from the bottom of my heart for
serving San Diego the way that
you did.
And I also want to note one of
the managers once wrote MISS
Olina is a role model for every
city employee and exemplifies a
standard of excellence that all
employees strive for in a city
career.
And we're lucky to have her
devoted service.
Thank you for your dedication.
So congratulations MS..
Rosas on your service and I
would like to invite you if you
would like to say a few words.
I wrote something down.
>> Thank you, Councilmember
Moreno.
And I'm really I'm really proud
and to have served the city for
this length of time And I want
to say that I was born in Logan
Heights, grew up in Logan
Heights, Logan Heights, the old
Logan High Slavery was my
childhood library I went to
then Lowell Elementary no
Perkins Elementary so we used
to walk to the old library when
I was a child and this is
actually my second time
addressing the council.
The first time was in 1980.
Some people in this room a lot
of people in this room weren't
even born yet.
So and that was when I was
involved with the barrio
Station where I learned
community service from Rachel.
So she was a great teacher When
I started at the Logan Heights
Library.
MR. 1 or 2 years was actually
my first supervisor and biggest
point the first thing he wanted
me to learn was that we had to
give the service to
the community that it was not
just a place where you went to
look at books, check out books
that we need it to give people
a feeling of community, a
feeling of family welcoming to
everybody every single day.
And when kids would act up one
day he said okay, tomorrow when
they walk in the door you
pretend nothing happened.
It's a brand new day and you
welcome them again.
You give them a chance and just
give them direction.
A lot of these kids just need
direction So he allowed me to
share my experience, my
connections with the community
I work with a federation,
the barrio station.
I had friends that worked in
different organizations and
those connections actually
proved really important when we
were working on the grant for
the new building because they
were able to give us letters of
partnership letters agreeing to
work with us after we opened
during the during
the construction I don't know
so many things and so many
things to say as the my kids my
library kids told you we've had
all these kids coming through
experiencing all these things,
sharing their lives with us.
Parents have come back years
later telling us the impact
that we had on their lives
unknowing to us because they
didn't share with us what they
were going through.
But they said that us opening
the space to them, sharing
programing, arts and crafts,
storytelling you know things
how we were you know we were
just you know, providing
services to the community and
it was allowing them an escape
from whatever was going on at
home And then with us sharing
what we knew that was going on
in the community services that
were available to them, they
were able to get out of that
situation or improve their
situation, get food, get
served, get legal services,
domestic violence assistance
all these things you know,
people come back later and tell
us these things and it makes
everything seem worthwhile what
we do every day and I run into
parents at the grocery store at
Costco and then they there was
a mom Oh she says let me show
you pictures.
My daughter just graduated from
medical school.
There's teachers in
the community that grew up at
the library.
They're now teachers, they're
principals.
They're in neighborhood schools
Emerson, Lincoln, you know, all
you know, all our local schools
they were kids that went to
the library And you know,
people that are administrators
We have doctors to use.
One of the moms told me her son
has a Ph.D. And I was I can't
remember what science with some
sort of science There was a
young man that came to the old
library right before we closed
.
He wanted to see it one last
time before it was closed
because he was in the army and
he was overseas and he was
telling me all about how
the library had really inspired
him And he came back and talked
about that.
So I just want to say in
closing that I hope the city
can continue providing our
communities the opportunity to
access these services by having
a place that's a place where
they can go and you know, take
part in all of these
activities.
And and I ask that you continue
to search for ways to help
the communities and help
the staff because difficult
times that we've gone through
and I've seen a lot in the time
I've been there, you know, we
persevered and we try to
continue giving people the same
level of service And it does
impact not only the public but
also staff.
But I want to thank you very
much for this acknowledgment.
Thank thank you.
>> I also I would want I want
to recognize our library
director Misty Jones for being
here.
>> I thought I saw her this
morning and that concludes my
comments.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councilmember
Moreno.
And we'll go next to
Councilmember Foster.
>> Yes, Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT, Just quickly
want to say congratulations to
all of the proclamation
recipients.
It's always good to take a
moment out to acknowledge
the good work of organizations
and individuals Um, I call it
the heartbeat of the city,
right?
And always always need to give
that acknowledgment in National
Park and Recreation Month.
Hopefully since I've been on
this council I've effectively
conveyed just how important
Park and Rec is to me how
important park and rec is to
district for um you know these
spaces um quite honestly are
more than parks and they're
where fellowship happens There
where community comes together
where neighbors can meet
neighbors and folks can
celebrate.
We just had a main event this
weekend at Marie Whitman Park,
the 2026 Encanto Block Party a
music festival.
I must say it was a very
touching time for me as a as a
young boy that grew up in
District four that was familiar
with the Encanto Street Fair.
Um, for those that don't know
that that name we can't use it
was copyrighted.
Um, but one of the things we
set out to do was to figure out
how can we bring that back And
it came back in the under
the auspices of the 2026
Encanto Block party And I must
say we probably had um well
over a thousand people that
came out to the park all ages,
all ethnicities And I must say
it was just truly, truly a
beautiful beautiful event And
um, that's why Parks and Rec is
so important to me And it's not
just one park and District
four.
We got a lot of things going on
and I just want to say thank
you to the Parks Foundation.
Um, ever since you stood up as
an organization um I must say
you've been focused on District
four bringing in events to
the district movies in the park
movies at night all the events
that you do is just really been
about community.
Um, I think I see Michelle in
the audience and in chambers
and he always says until
the Park Foundation was stood
up we didn't have those
amenities right?
Councilmember We didn't have
movies in the park.
We didn't have a place for
young folks, young families to
go on those Friday nights or
those Saturday nights.
So I'll just thank you for
that.
I also would like to thank San
Diego fc for all the things
that they are doing,
the investments they're
bringing to the park.
I'm really interested in park
and what we just did in our
hard core.
It's just amazing, amazing
work, beautiful work and so
just really thankful Also
thankful to the Parks and Rec
staff for everything that they
do.
Um, you know it was up to me I
might have every park open
every hour of the day, lights
in every park and just really
bring a community together.
So just really want to shout
out National Park and
Recreation Month and I'm going
to continue to make sure we
have our parks and rec
facilities open.
So that's how important this is
to me making sure that we're
making the appropriate upgrades
and investments so that every
family, every family has a
place to go when they want to
fellowship, have fun and just
relax and and and love on one
another.
So congratulations and just
thank you so much.
And that concludes my comments.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you Councilmember Foster
I think everyone's had a chance
to speak Who wants to I'll
offer a few comments myself.
I'll start out with a response
to one of the public commenters
.
Proclamations are part of
the official business of
the city of San Diego the city
Council.
It is a brown Act requirement
that we do things out a notice
to public hearing and I think
Council then council PRESIDENT
Eli Rivera wisely moved
the proclamations up front And
then when I took over I
codified it so that we would do
that.
So you would have a time clock
when you show up you wouldn't
show up in the morning for
the 2:00 session If you want to
speak on the consent items
probably I want to show up at
10:00 because we know we're
going to go through the box.
It's probably gonna take 45
minutes an hour to do that But
I think it is one of
the special things that this
city does as my colleagues
mentioned is an opportunity to
highlight something that maybe
the general public doesn't know
about or to recognize someone
who has been in that long
standing and city employee.
So I always appreciate that And
to the items it throws off it
is always a sad day when we
lose someone who is so beloved
as a librarian But it's also a
joyful day because now you get
to enjoy all that hard work and
the reward of retirement.
So the best of luck in
retirement and I'll speak on
item 13 National Park and
Recreation Month.
As my colleague said in
partnership with Councilmembers
Foster Councilmember Moreno and
Councilmember Eli Rivera, we
proclaim the month of JULY 2026
to be National Park and
Recreation Month in the city of
San Diego.
Our parks at the heart of what
makes San Diego the amazing
place that it is from being
the gathering place for
neighborhood events sports to a
place where people of all ages
can enjoy being in our
community and the outdoors.
And all of this would not be
possible without the public
service of the employees of our
Parks and Recreation Department
who make it their mission to
ensure that our green spaces
are healthy, sustainable and
enriching for every visitor in
San Diego And I will give a
shout out to the work to
the Parks and Recreation
Department is done in my
district District one but also
in particular what the Parks
Foundation has done in District
one as well.
And while they've done amazing
work in our under-resourced
communities, we're certainly
grateful in District one that
you helped make possible
separate turf tracking of
the Scripps Park as well as us
playground over at Fan Well
Street Park nice additions for
those particular neighborhoods
to enjoy what the city has to
offer.
So thank you to everyone with
the Parks and Recreation
Department nonprofit
organizations and volunteers
for making San Diego more
welcoming and accessible for
all to enjoy.
And with that we have a motion
by council member Whitburn and
a second by Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee.
Please call the roll I'm sorry
the voting system Please cast
your vote that passes
unanimously 8 to 0 with
Councilmember Campo absent.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
And we will now pause for
photos.
Now we're going to do things a
little bit differently than we
did in the past.
It's really important to keep
the both aisles clear for
everyone's public safety.
So if you're going to come up
for pictures, please remain
seated until you're called that
way to ensure that our aisles
are kept clear.
But we're going to start with
our 500th Miramar Martial Arts
30th anniversary day so you can
come up and watch for Heidi
Signal about who is next after
that.
But please remain seated.
Keep those aisles clear.
>> Thank you
.
And
all right.
As the public exits, we will
now proceed with the approval
of the consent items.
Are there any request to pull a
consent item by the council?
I see there aren't any.
So Clerk please proceed with
public comment on the consent
item.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Please note
each record of one minute per
item per person.
If you would like to speak on
three or more items you'll have
a maximum of three minutes.
The consent agenda includes
items 1053 56 6061 103 114
That's 5a1274 and 5192 as 511
we did receive comments on
items one at 12 one in favor
and items as 5042 opposed and
one in favor of your comment
form which have been
distributed to the Council.
Also let me note for the record
the potential appointments that
are on the agenda this morning
.
Item 114 is a potential
appointment of Michelle Eastman
to the Accessibility Advisory
Board and item as my vote to is
the potential reappointment of
Darlene moment on record
Stephen Chatzky, Walter Jordan,
Senator Maria Lozano Diaz and
Clovis honor to the Commission
on Police Practices starting
with Samuel Merrill.
If you can please come up to
the front speaking on item one
at 12 and after that we have
Maximilian Schmidt, Karen b and
allegedly Andre as well as Paul
Krueger.
If you can all please come up
to the front row.
You're speaking at 112.
You'll have one minute.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Good morning.
I'm Samuel Merrill.
Beyond the harm that
discrimination causes, we see
that it also creates a
financial burden for the city.
3.1 million is the practice
city has to pay for this
particular settlement if you
count back the past 12 months
have seen the street
discrimination settlements
the figures close to 4 million.
This is a clear indication that
the city needs to address
the root causes of
discrimination in
the workforce.
There are a number of factors
to consider and
the underrepresentation in
the management leadership
promotion selection practices
and organizational culture its
accountability people policies,
procedures with others
accountability The city will
continue to pay the price.
Maximilian Schmidt You're
speaking on item 5051 and 110
You'll have three minutes.
>> Please proceed on for
the update to the parking meter
zone boundaries on I just
wanted to say that this sounds
like a crazy thing to many
people but a lot of cities are
starting to have cheaper
parking and even free parking
And I know at Double Park on on
the San Diego City Council did
a good job on free parking And
I think that parking should be
on more places in the city You
should be free to park And
that's because sales on
property and cannabis taxes are
already too high.
And as for the massive
undergrounding utilities
program going on all in San
Diego, it's a huge undertaking
and I think one of the grossest
misallocation of resources
that's currently happening in
San Diego only a select number
of cities across the world have
put all their power lines
underground.
I saw like Tokyo, Japan on one
of them and I just come from
the perspective of someone who
needs to use the library on
pretty frequently to access
the Internet and to charge my
devices.
The library is completely
closed on Sunday and only opens
at 11:30 A.M. On Monday and
Tuesday and then hundreds of
millions $250 million to put
the utility power lines
underground on for esthetic
reasons.
It seems as if as I said,
the grossest misallocation of
resources is happening in San
Diego with the house prices
becoming more expensive and
many people not wanting to move
on that's basically all that
happens as the property tax
goes up on the on the House It
does It And so that's and
the cannabis tax is extremely
unfair and ridiculous And then
also sales tax So then
the parking I think should be
cheaper and I think you
shouldn't use all these taxes
to put the power lines
underground in this giant
massive undertaking that only
Tokyo Japan has done something
like that And then the library
can't even open all day Sunday
or it opens at noon on Monday
and Tuesday because of a lack
of resources Seems like a
misallocation and I and I just
want to say that free parking
isn't something that is like
that far fetched.
I think it's becoming more
common and I'm Thank you thank
you for that compelling comment
Karen we're seeing in item 52
is we seeing Okay.
Thank you.
Good morning.
I last night I looked at
the JUNE 18th Environmental
Committee meeting where
the contract extension was
approved for Barrick the trash
truck and container company.
There was no presentation given
and no questions asked and it
was approved unanimously as
part of that contract extension
they approved the vision truck
Services and the rfid reader to
be implemented on the trucks
and that is a hopper camera
that looks at trash being
dumped for every customer in
San Diego And then on JULY 2nd
with communication from Arnie's
office they said it was just
going to be a pilot program and
that the information was not
recorded or collected But
the information from
the website says at the push of
a button they can create a
report in real time with all of
contamination including comment
allegedly order You'll have
three minutes for speaking And
it was 50 5153 5661 101 50
(212)210-5119 112 113 As we
move forward please proceed.
>> Free parking isn't good for
business.
This is a business so you know
what I mean.
You got to do that.
But I think we should ban all
paid parking.
That'll never happen.
I mean $75 parking tickets are
crazy.
You guys are making a lot of
money and then Henry, you care
about Parks?
>> That's so funny.
Only if your family's not going
to profit.
>> Right?
Because you know, you put a
development there if you are
and then with this rfid chip
that's pretty crazy.
And then also like because
these parts and the waste cards
someone just came in and said
that their tractors are being
picked up if they're not three
feet apart.
So I think you guys need to
really think about that because
these people are paying and
they don't even get their trash
picked up.
That's that's not good.
And then prevailing wage Yeah
you guys are just gaslighting
the people Now with this
amendment to the municipal code
regarding the Unified School
District Board of Education I
think you guys need to be aware
that Scott Wiener has taken a
bill where it was going to make
sure that sexual predators
including pedophiles were not
allowed to be a public official
.
However, he wanted to take out
the pedophiles because you
know, we have to glorify them
and that would be totally
discriminatory.
>> So they're going to be in
the schools.
Well, they already are at
Sunset Elementary, right,
Vivian?
Right.
Naptime children just being
sexually molested.
It's so good they do it.
They just get real comfortable.
They do.
They do it right out in
the open.
So nothing to worry about there
though.
Let's not protect children.
Just give them some sexual
books and those people will
just be a magnet for them.
These poisons that you're
putting in the pure water Why
is use for acclimation?
>> So I'm wondering are we
going to put bodies in there to
dissolve them?
How is that not going to grow
the metal in the pipes?
It does but that would mean
that it it doesn't harm soft
tissue or anything like that.
But it's cool because all
the aborted babies that people
are flushed down the toilet
will you know, be taken care of
and then let's see the uh hmm
Oh yes.
>> No spraying of your
glyphosate with these
landscaping initiatives that
you guys have.
Roundup is being sprayed and
it's extremely toxic to
children to wherever So it's
being put in parks and things
like that.
I think you guys need to think
about poisoning people but
we're doing it with the water.
We can dissolve those bodies to
the fencing.
Tent city is like a prison
because the fencing is going in
So that's interesting.
I wonder if they're going to
maybe turn it around so those
people don't get stuck in there
with the fire.
As far as these settlements, I
think you need to start putting
those amounts back up where you
don't just have to click on to
the item.
And as far as housing goes it's
like nobody can afford to rent.
And so the fact that you guys
want to put them in housing I
don't think that they
understand what they're getting
into there And you're but I
mean you can take their home so
that's cool.
>> Paul Kruger you're speaking
on items a 5050 to 112 and s504
you will have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Um, I'm not sure of
the protocol here but please
give more discussion to item
52.
This is a $106 million For
what?
According to the report is just
trash bin repair errors.
It doesn't even say
replacements.
The second paragraph of pure
government talks about
the contract going from 8
million to 38 million and then
being adjusted in 2022 to an
unspecified amount And then we
have JULY 14th where it went to
$103 million.
Now there's another $3 million
to $106 million.
We have to have an explanation.
You MAY know more about this
than members of the public but
this is an expenditure related
to the trash fee that
the public wants to understand
How could we be spending $106
million Again the item backups
as necessary for repairs and
maintenance of containers.
Nowhere does it say that it
involves the replacement of
the containers.
Thank you for doing what you
can to assure more public
discussion on this very
important item.
Just very briefly on item 112
the settlement this is another
example of the millions of
dollars that we are paying
every week.
It seems like certainly every
month for questionable
settlements.
I'm not saying in any way that
this case shouldn't have been
settled but it looks like it
went on for three years with
two separate lawsuits.
There must be a better way to
both settle on on better terms
earlier perhaps and more
importantly to avoid these
lawsuits.
I'll use my last moment to
please urge you to discuss item
s five over four.
My colleague Jeff Tudor wrote a
very important note to you
about concerns regarding
the construction defect change
on sb 1903.
Please do not approve today's
item if you include sb 1903
please read about Please read
Jeff's note to you about
suggested changes to
the wording of sb 1903 before
you endorse it.
Do not endorse as a package
please.
Thank you very much for your
time.
>> Thank you.
Blair Beekman You're speaking
on items as final two as 503
and 110.
Hi Beekman I'm going to
substitute item 54 110 with
the administrative update
Parking meter zoning boundary
descriptions for Uptown and
Midtown Mid-City communities um
with our parking things that
we're working on at this time,
is it possible to be
considering again the ideas of
parking commissions?
I think it was a good way to
create community and democracy
and there was some really
undemocratic ideas in taking
those concepts away.
The past year in order to
consolidate your new parking
ideas.
Now that we're returning to all
forms, can we return to
the parking commission process
and what that offered community
or at least for it to have a
place in our future We can have
some sort of, you know, working
within Chamber of commerce
groups you know, local business
associations or anything you
know, to get that sort of
process uh, a democratic
process Again good luck in
the efforts I wanted to speak
to item as 503 which is
the buyer park parking a
funding for issues.
Our Park Department has an
awesome job to working on to a
degree on tech and
accountability and that our
data is going to be safe,
secure and that we're doing
best practices.
Um they made pretty strong
demands of federal agencies
that we're working on good
terms and I hope we can
continue those sort of efforts
for ourselves.
I hope the park by our park
funding ideas can connect to
the housing development that's
planned for the same area Will
they be working in conjunction?
Should they be working in
conjunction there should be
really obviously important
concepts of environmental
concerns and efforts and let's
not forget the importance of
environmental concerns with our
land issues.
We have to note the history of
our land issues as well.
Uh, good luck how we do all of
that with with the prior park
and the animal health ideas to
conclude with the reappointment
to the Commission on Police
practices.
I really wanted to say
yesterday I hope that
the Police Commission on Police
Practices will be reviewing can
have an open public process on
the future of hope for use in
real time in San Diego.
That has to be a public
conversation in our future.
Good luck how it can be
accessible.
Good luck in your efforts to
try to make that accessible.
I hope you can do that as
councilperson.
And the other comment that I
think the aclu person who
applied for a job on
the commission was not elected
and I thought that I thought
that a bit disconcerting.
I hope we do not fear having
open conversations in
the public eye and here in
the following months you know
what I'm trying to do a best
practices.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
I started the five minutes I'm
we're going to those
participating remotely.
We currently have three people
in the queue starting with
Zachary.
If you can please unmute and
let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to.
Zachary DeFazio Farrow I can't
unmute for you.
There you go.
Hello.
It's 504.
Please proceed.
You have one minute.
Okay.
Good morning.
Council PRESIDENT Members of
the Council My name is DR.
Fazio and the Treasurer of
the Democrats of Seminole
County.
I'm speaking in support of item
as far as 504 the resolution
backing Assembly bills 19 zero
314 zero six and 70 in 1834 San
Diego is the fifth most
expensive metro area in
the country to buy a home and
only about 70% of local
households can afford a medium
priced home here.
>> This package addresses real
barriers to homeownership
reducing costs of construction
defect litigation, lowering
financing risk for builders and
easing permitting for missing
middle housing duplexes,
townhomes and condos.
I want to thank Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee for
introducing this resolution and
steering committee.
>> We urge the Council to adopt
s504 as presented on today's
consent agenda I sent
Sacramento a clear message that
San Diego supports expanding
homeownership.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is Lori Saldana.
If you can please unmute Morris
Although I knew I can move for
you but if you can unmute and
let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to.
My apologies please On mute.
Hello.
Yes, hi.
Yes Hi there.
Yes I'd like to see an item 112
113 and 114.
>> Please proceed.
You'll have three minutes.
Thank you.
So item 112 it was already
mentioned that these types of
discrimination cases they are
costly on a financial level but
also costly capabilities fairly
poor but represent the case
employment opportunities I
throughout San Diego there are
many not only within the city
but there are many contracts
given to companies that when
you review their employment
reports they clearly are not
meeting the level of diversity
that the city has envisioned
when they step forward certain
goals and certain programs
Sometimes it's costly as in
this case on a legal settlement
but other times it is costly
because frankly people don't
see themselves represented.
Job sites where contractors are
doing work that's supposed to
be beneficial to everyone In
San Diego And I went there 13
the settlement about an
accident on a sidewalk in these
cases used to be relatively
rare there I got to sit there
increasing I've mentioned in
the past the incident with a
member of my own family who
tripped over City Hall and
the injuries resulted in her
death a few months later It's
it is not only again costly in
terms of the settlements that
are being paid but it's costly
to the people that are
supportive of those who are
injured And these trips involve
and related to this area,
Pacific Beach.
I will be speaking soon
regarding what is happening in
our coastal communities.
I was born and raised in San
Diego.
I have seen the changes in our
neighborhoods.
I I've lived in Pacific Beach
and other coastal communities
and I believe these these
incidents tripping and falling
and other accidents are going
to increase very quickly And
I'll explain why during
the public comment and then
finally the reappointment to
the Commission on Police
Practices as others have
mentioned, this commission was
created following just to give
us a brief history of 15 years
ago there was an activity right
outside this building Occupy
San Diego and people were
camping overnight and in
the early morning hours police
raided the encampment and ended
up putting people into
basically locking them down in
vehicles And it was
dehumanizing.
It was frightening And some of
the people that experienced
this worked very hard for many
years to get this commission
established.
The fact that it has taken this
it continues to take months and
years to establish and fully
operate.
This commission does not speak
well of police practices in San
Diego and I encourage you to
manage this as quickly as you
can.
Thank you.
Next is 8700.
If you can please unmute and
let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to.
Yes I have eight items 501 50
(510)010-1102 110 504 and 511
please.
Thank you.
You'll have three minutes.
I'll also note that the five
minute timer did conclude there
are three people in the queue
No additional speakers will be
taken.
>> Please proceed Missing out
of Thank you five one Yes to
the electronic filing system
for the office of the City
Clerk This will help keep
the city clerks team and their
stellar work stellar work
moving forward for all
the people of San Diego All 55
I am on the fence three Yes or
no On its first amend to
the contract with Evernorth
Care Solutions 185 and then
admin employees 42 white male 1
or 3 white female
underrepresented Asian Asian in
management and financial
African-American and Asian in
sales plus also due to some of
the some parts of the staff
report is too long for me to
say them but I'm a yes or no on
that.
Thank you very much.
One 100 yes to the contract for
as needed Independent legal
counsel for the Office of
the City Auditor and the Audit
Committee.
That's a big yes 101 combined
with 102 Yes And both for
chemicals to the North City
Pure water facility.
Have we finally got a handle on
pricing 110 Yes.
Two utilities undergrounding
program a question what percent
of collaboration is happening
with sdg and the these
processes?
And another question what
percentage is being taking
place for outreach with
the communities And if dg And
each of these processes I'm
looking for improvement in both
areas Thank you Bible for I am
on the fence yes and no On
supporting the four assembly
bills aimed at expanding home
ownership as a long term
apartment renter I need to get
right to the bones.
These bills and to evaluate
their clear intentions.
I'm all for them.
Thank you.
And lastly by 11 yes to 15
apartments I'm still not clear
on the history of
the amendments and so forth yet
I have fond memories of working
on this project to fruition in
2009 with cdc The increase in
their provision and love to
all.
>> Thank you.
Judy Strang If you can please
unmute Judy Sorry I can't I'm
here for you.
>> I will need to move on.
There you go.
Sorry I'm at my work site and
that's always a little
challenging.
I'd like to speak to items 55
100 and 109I have a question
about 109 and that has to do
with the installation of
fencing Because of
the conversation yesterday I
decided to take a deep dive and
those it those items today that
had to do with contracts and if
I understand in this correctly
it looks to me like
the contract for fencing is
increasing from $3 million to
8,000,900.
I tried as I examined
the finances behind this to
understand what would have
happened to create that sort of
increase.
I must admit maybe I didn't
read carefully and I couldn't
find the answers I, I was
looking for it but my golly
that $6 million increase I
having discussing what we would
like to spend our money on not
the least of which are
restrooms that was startling
Then I'd like to speak next to
item 100.
Yes.
Oh my gosh.
Yes.
Let's get our idea Any
individual or individualized
council that they would need
that would make their services
easier for them to do.
It is a job that the public
greatly appreciate and values
their opinion and anything that
makes their job easier.
And finally I especially wanted
to address item 55 about
something I know quite a bit
about employee assisted
progress.
I have a high regard for those
enterprises those businesses
which the city certainly is
that realize the importance of
a good employee assistance
program And as your staff
report mentions this very
important behavioral health
resource that the erp,
the employment Assistance
program provides to your
employees is essential for
their personal and workplace
challenges.
It often includes mental health
challenges.
This is not your staff report.
This is me having worked on
these programs The type of
mental health problems that
people in your business might
have and their alcohol,
tobacco, marijuana drug
problems that they have really
create an issue to
the workplace.
When I first entered this field
40 years ago, one of the first
things I was involved with is
bringing erp programs to
businesses And one of
the things that we learned from
those who had gone before is
the last thing that people who
have drug problems let loose of
is their job because of course
it's important for them to have
a source of funding for their
alcohol and drug use.
So this is the place if we're
going to help people at their
workplace, if we can do it then
it is money well spent.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Tony.
Your final speaker if you can
please unmute and let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to.
Yes.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
I would like to speak to item
56.
I would like to speak to item
100.
I would like to speak to item
control Sorry item 112 I
believe it is So those two yet
Those three okay Sorry.
>> Three minutes Please
proceed.
Thank you.
First I'll start by saying I'm
in big support of item GOD this
is item 100 and in favor of
the eBay getting as much
support as possible with
whatever council they MAY need
and then moving on to item item
112 a $3.1 million settlement
with the city of San Diego due
to a discrimination case with
the San Diego Police Department
.
I I've spoken about this issue
so many times.
I've come to city council about
this issue so many times but I
haven't seen the tone of
the five people that voted for
Flock of the five people that
continually vote in favor of
giving sd pd all the toys and
all of the budget increases
that they ask for.
I never see the tone of any of
your change.
I never see you asking them
the critical questions.
I never see any of these
lawsuits change your tone in
terms of greater accountability
that you should be asking from
them and yesterday in
the appointment of the people
to the Commission on Police
Practices, I'm glad that all
those people were appointed But
some of the questions that you
asked were really, really
reflective of some of your
positions and your lack your
own personal lack of
objectivity in assessing police
accountability.
It seems like you're more
concerned with people having a
a view that's favorable that sd
pd over people holding them
accountable over the only
regulatory body that we have
that's responsible for holding
them directly accountable.
It seems like y'all are more
interested in having allies on
cp that won't recommend changes
that c pd won't even make
because the cp is totally
disempowered from being able to
make these changes.
So it's all just a dog and pony
show anyway.
It's all just a charade anyway
and it's super concerning that
because this is coming out of
the public liability d fund
y'all don't seem to care.
Your d doesn't change any of
your tones and I don't know
what it will take for you to
realize that this is our money
and we are in a budget crisis
and we can't afford grocery yet
We're continually paying these
massive settlements for steep
needs.
I'm sorry your time has
concluded.
If you raised your hand
the five minute timer had
already concluded and that does
conclude public comment on
the consent agenda.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
With that I'll turn to my
colleagues for comments,
questions and entertain a
motion and we'll start with
Councilmember Moreno.
>> Thank you.
I have comments on item 100 a
request for the approval of a
contract between the city of
San Diego and Rene Public Law
Group to provide as needed
independent legal counsel for
the Office of the City Auditor
and the Audit Committee measure
a asked the citizens of San
Diego for a charter amendment
authorizing the City auditor
and the audit committee to use
outside legal counsel instead
of our elected city attorney.
I signed the ballot argument in
favor of the measure and I was
very happy to see that 67.24%
of voters agreed with this
measure.
So I want to start off by
thanking the audit Committee ad
hoc subcommittee for
the implement ation of Measure
a And I also want to take this
opportunity to thank City
attorney Heather Ferber for not
standing in between the will of
the voters.
This has been a very long time
coming and I'm glad to see that
we are reaching this point.
This represents another
important tool for the city
auditor to ensure that taxpayer
funds are being used
responsibly and also
transparently.
I also do want to recognize and
extend my gratitude to public
committee members.
Halpern And Maffia for their
outstanding work in helping
guide this effort.
Thanks to that collaborative
effort, we now have a contract
that represent that reflects
the commitment made to
the voters the economic
statement presented to voters
when they considered Measure a
is consistent with the contract
amount before us today and this
independent legal Council is
important because the city
attorney represents
the departments that the city
auditor is auditing So
ultimately this helps
the mission of the city auditor
to advance open and accountable
government through independent
objective and accurate audits
and investigations that seek to
improve the efficiency,
effectiveness and equity of
city government.
I also have comments on item as
5o3I want to take this
opportunity to thank Council
member Campbell for bringing
this item forward and for
keeping the Buyer park
development project in mind
while serving on the San Diego
River River Conservancy Board.
If awarded this grant funding
would fully fund Phase two
Buyer Park a long anticipated
project that was promised to
the San Isidro community by
the city of San Diego decades
ago fully funding Phase two is
a critical step towards turning
that longstanding promise into
a tangible reality for our
community.
This represents and this
project represents more than
just park improvements.
It represents long overdue
investment in San Ysidro
families, youth and residents
who deserve access to quality
public space.
So I'm extremely proud to
support this item and look
forward to seeing my support
continue moving forward and
with that Council PRESIDENT I'm
happy to make a motion to
accept the consent agenda
before us today.
All right.
Thank you.
Council members we have motion
by Councilmember Moreno to move
the staff recommendation on
the consent items and we'll go
next to council member on Open
.
Thank you very much And I'm
going to have questions on item
52 for both environmental
services and purchasing
contracting.
So hopefully there are folks
here who can answer it.
I do have a question for
the city attorney as well as an
item as 509 which is
the settlement by voting for
the settlement that doesn't
lock us into voting for a
certain amount of the water
rate going forward.
It will like we do have to do a
singular water rate because of
the court decision but we don't
have to set an amount in this
settlement.
Correct That as 509 was pulled
from the consent agenda.
So I'm happy to discuss with
you.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Sorry about that.
Okay then I'm question items
five vote two please.
I'm sorry Item 52 are the last
day I was there I was there.
>> Good morning.
Customer Jeremy Bauer
Governmental Services.
Thank you.
So this is a $3 million
extension to the contract to
allow procurement of rfid
reader hardware and software
which enables the city to
provide service protection to
its customers.
I thought that we I I'm wholly
against the city getting
neutrality and I voted no on
this every single time but I've
lost on this.
So now the new trash cans are
here.
I thought the whole reason that
we were told we had to do
the new trash cans was because
they'd have rfid chips in them
and then we could read them.
So why is it that now we need
an additional $3 million to
read the rfid trips?
Wasn't that why was that part
of the original negotiation?
>> Great question.
So two and for the opportunity
to clarify the primary reason
for the new containers is
customer verification to
validate that we're only
providing service to customers
that are city customers and
that we're providing service
level that they're paying for.
This is because the fee is
based it's a function of
the size of the trash container
and how many total containers
they have.
And recognizing that most of
the containers that were
deployed in the past were well
past their useful life,
the city weighed doing a manual
audit of what was out in
the field versus replacing and
we did determine that replacing
them was the most effective and
efficient way to validate
service levels.
With that said to your question
,we did communicate to
the public that all of the new
containers come with rfid
reader rfid is embedded in them
and that our plan would be to
test technology for
the hardware that would be
attached to the trucks.
And then going forward would
allow us to collect service
level information to allow for
continuous improvement over
time.
Also allow us if we detect a
container outside of where it's
supposed to be we could get it
back to where it belongs.
>> And part of why we wanted to
do a pilot first was before
spending the money to buy
the hardware to attach
the trucks.
It was important to us to test
the technology first and sure
it's working before making that
that significant investment in
hardware for the trucks.
>> Did we competitively bid
the hardware for the trucks?
We did one or the other pilot
with another firm right where
the Detectability rate was not
high enough for our business
needs and also the amount of
staff time to load the data and
the versatility of
the technology As a result of
doing the pilot we determined
that it wasn't going to meet
our needs, that hardware was
able to be returned without
without costs.
That was part of what was
desirable about that initial
pilot With this new pilot
the pilot itself should cost
about $30,000 and if the pilot
is successful only if and only
at that point would we spend
the 3 million to buy the at
about 2 million actually to buy
the hardware And then
the latter million is for
the software needs for
the remainder of the at
the period the fifth period
through fiscal year 29.
So then why did we pick these
two companies as a part of a
competitive bid like we usually
do?
>> How how did this work?
We have an existing contract
with Varig for the container
pavilion repair and replacement
and leveraging that We already
had that contract recognizing
that that's the same firm that
makes the containers with
the rfid and them We anticipate
that the hardware that the firm
makes should be successful in
detecting containers.
>> We didn't at first because
you said you met with another
company previously.
>> That's right.
We had a we also had an
existing contract with Radware
And so being able to leverage
that existing contract through
this when the very contract was
presented last last JULY for
the container rollout we
presented that this contract
would be for the purposes of
rolling out the new containers
and that we would continue to
look into what's what's next.
And as part of that exercise we
did determine that the existing
contract with Varig allowed for
that.
The scope of that contract
allowed for provision of rfid
hardware And so we determined
that that would be an efficient
way of lifting that existing
contract with the city but it
would require adding capacity
to the contract to fund for
the hardware purchase.
>> Got it.
So we have not done a
competitive bid to see what
would be the cheapest.
We're just kind of picking
contracts before I answer
customer x I want to confirm
with you know it's part of
the equipment procurement
agreement which was
competitively bid That includes
not only carts but the rfid
technology as well and cost
number this is Chase.
>> We have an intern program
manager with our program Now
I'm reading all the staff
reports The original contract
was in 2016 and it was for
trash containers.
It wasn't competitively bid for
this new rfid software.
We just checked it on
the original cooperate
procurement agreement from
the Omni partnership included
not only carts but the rfid
technology as well which was
completely bid but it's used
through multiple municipalities
across the country.
Where does it say that in a
contract on the original a
contract there is services that
specify that rfid technology as
part of this corporate
procuring agreement for 2016?
Correct?
Okay.
>> That's not the back of
materials.
>> The only thing we purchased
anywhere I think with you about
it we rejected a contract
yesterday because it wasn't
competitively bid and I don't
see anywhere this was in
Claudio's view came of I see in
your report that we're
accepting an extension to this
contract because there's three
what three criteria We have to
be an emergency or
extraordinary circumstances
exist.
So what are the emergency or
extraordinary circumstances
that exist that allow us to not
do a bigger process and just
take $3 million out of
the contract?
Okay.
>> So just to backtrack thank
you for the question.
Councilmember Michael for
Claudio Burkett, Director of
Purchasing Contracting.
Just to backtrack, cooperative
procurement is allowable.
What we did it has to meet our
criteria that it was solicited.
There were multiple bids and
there was an award process that
is in line with the city's own
procurement process.
So yes, this contract was
awarded previously There is a
provision that allows us to
extend in the event that it is
in the best interest of
the city And if we go beyond
that cooperative procurement
period, the department has
indicated that they have a very
you need to get these trash
cans rolled out very quickly
because of the adoption of
the ordinance and that is why
we allow the extension of
the cooperative contract that
existed at that time.
So it seems the need is created
because we didn't do this
earlier.
You know, potentially I will
let the department of.
Okay got it.
Of my last question is how do
we know that we can afford any
of this Because the city got
into a settlement where we
arbitrarily lowered the trash
fee.
>> Yes, good question,
Councilmember.
So the Postal Service model and
the budget did include cost to
provide the relative containers
and included in the amount that
is collected.
That amount is sufficient to
fund $3 million that the pilot
okay.
Okay.
Thank you for answering
questions.
I continue to assert we did not
need to spend now $63 million
buying your trash cans for
the entire city.
So I would second the motion
with a friendly amendment that
we move to vote No.
One Item 52 are the maker of
the motion doesn't accept
the friendly amendment.
Okay then I will be seconding
the and I'll be voting no one
Item 52 and no one Item 112
Thank you.
Thank you COUNCILMAN.
All right.
Thank you all summer from a
good line of questions or I
will go next to Councilmember
Eli Rivera.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
Let me start by seconding
the motion and then I will
express my appreciation to
Michelle Eastman for stepping
up to serve on
the Accessibility Advisory
Board.
Michelle brings nearly a decade
of disability advocacy,
education and strategy into
this role, including serving as
the inaugural program manager
of a disability resource hub at
uc San Diego.
So that experience will be of
great benefit to the city and
I'm very appreciative of
Michelle's willingness to serve
.
>> I will move on to item 56
just to express a quick
appreciation to the city
Attorney's office again for
stepping up and helping enforce
our living wage prevailing wage
minimum wage ordinances
The workers in this city
hospitality workers in the city
received a raise on JULY 1st.
As a result of the actions of
the Council and this will help
us ensure that those workers
get raise that they deserve.
I want to thank city attorney
for for going out with me and
helping let some workers know
that they are entitled to this
raise now And obviously
the work that will come after
this to ensure the enforcement
is done well and then lastly
item 112 I wanted to speak to
that briefly Last month
Councilmember Foster as chair
the Budget Committee initiated
an important conversation about
settlements that have involved
the settlement across the city
really but especially those
involving the single police
department at that point in
time there was a $160 million
over the last ten years that
did not include the $3.1
million that's been approved
today.
It did however, account for
the $30 million for the death
of Keno Wilson and $10 million
for that to their bill.
McCormack Those are those when
combined with the $3.1 million
here equates to almost $45
million just from three
lawsuits since DECEMBER of last
year.
That's an enormous amount of
money within each of those
dollar amounts Our stories that
involve the death of two miners
and a officer who alleged
experiencing racism
discrimination for over a
decade.
So important on multiple
fronts.
And so I am hoping that
the initiation of
the conversation that
Councilmember Foster led helps
us as a city and helps us to
epd as a department wrestle
with what can be done to not
just avoid these costs but
the even more important cost to
public trust that each of these
settlements represent.
And lastly, it's yet another
example of why I think it's
important for us to to figure
out between now and next budget
year a way to account for these
settlement costs and and and
verdicts when they do go
against the city in the budgets
for the departments that are
for the departments generally
but specifically for city pd at
this point you know I don't
think it would be improper for
us to take an average of what
departments are paying out on
an annual basis and include
that in the department budget
When we approve the budget each
year to give us a more accurate
reflection of what each
department is spending and
costing the city as we balance
that with the services and
resources that they're
providing So I am again
supportive of the consent
agenda.
I'm offering a second but I
also do think that there's some
stuff for us to wrestle with
here.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you, Council members.
And we do have a motion by
COUNCILMAN Randall to move
the consent items to the second
by council member Della Rivera
and we will go to Councilmember
Foster.
Yes, Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
I'll try to keep my comments
brief very quickly.
I will be supporting
the consent agenda except I
would like to register a no
vote for item 52 which I
believe is associated with
the trash item.
I also would like to
congratulate the reappointment
of two of our Commissioners to
the Commission on these
practices Living and MR. Clovis
on Red Just thank you for your
continued service and your
willingness to serve on what I
think is one of the most
critical boards and commissions
that we have at the city of San
Diego And it takes a tremendous
commitment and dedication to to
serve on that body By all means
don't want to take away from
anybody other commissions or
boards and with this one is
just very, very intensive and
highly critical to what we do
here at the city.
Also I just want to speak to
item 112 quickly.
I've known Officer Art Scott
for quite some time.
He is someone that is was born
and raised in District four,
has a wonderful family his
daughters that are doing great
things Son in the military and
just an all around what I like
to say a good person.
I think as Councilmember Rivera
indicated brought forward
the item last month because we
need to improve it to see in
cota I have to put this to
the mayor's office and yourself
but I'm looking for what steps
are we taking to address
the issues within the San Diego
Police Department $116 Million
in Misconduct As we see this
item where we clearly have
discriminatory practices we
need to do better And if
the mayor's office is not
looking to make change I can't
sit back and just look at how
we are going to be complicit
and continue this type of
behavior, continue this type of
culture.
So I'll give you a moment if
you'd like to let me know and
I'd like to think my colleagues
would be interested in how are
we going to address this
behavior in this culture within
the police department.
I appreciate the opportunity,
Councilmember, and thank you
for inviting us to your
committee Last month to speak
on just overall pd settlements
and judgments And I think
through that conversation we
saw the necessary training and
investment that department
needs to be able to improve how
we engage with the public.
I don't know enough details on
the case before you today to
speak on what internal controls
we can offer for conduct within
the department.
But again I appreciate
the opportunity last month to
really speak on the types of
training, the type of continued
monitoring of how we engage
with the community to improve
the police services that we
provide so that we don't have
the items that we've had in
the past in DECEMBER and
JANUARY with the horrific
settlement that we had back
then.
So it's I think just a
consistent effort that needs to
be prioritized not only during
budget season but year round
And I think you have
the support and belief within
the department to execute on
that So thank you.
I want to thank you for that
And I just cannot stress enough
and I've said this police
training is not new and we do
do a considerable amount of
training for our officers.
I think we need to make sure
that we look at
the effectiveness of that
training but also we need to
make sure that we have
accountability And I think
that's a very, very important
factor And something that we
cannot set aside.
So just as we talk about
looking at our training,
looking at de-escalation, we
also need to look at
accountability.
And one thing I will say and I
saw a statement that came out
regarding the play that came
out addressed to the Commission
on Police practices
Unacceptable, unacceptable.
I understand why the play
exists.
>> But you know what Let's do
right.
The executive board needs to
get in a role.
They need to have a
conversation and they need to
help address the issues within
the department.
Don't look externally, don't
blame the commission
the misconduct that we're
that's being discussed or a
direct result of our officers
And that's where that
conversation needs to make sure
where we keep that conversation
and that goes back to
accountability.
And so it's time for the police
to step up and do what's right
.
Quit throwing rocks, quit
blaming other people.
You're the ones that put
the uniform on every day.
You're the one that that goes
out to be able to protect and
serve.
Let's protect and serve
everyone.
>> Let's make sure that we're
making opportunities available
to him.
>> Three minutes.
You're right.
We're discussing a case on an
officer, an African-American
officer.
I don't believe we have one
African-American officer that's
on the executive board of
the play.
Before you want to attack
the commission, let's address
that.
Let's be inclusive and let's
fix that.
So thank you.
I look forward to the continued
conversations, Kota because we
have work to do And so Council
PRESIDENT I will conclude my
comments there.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Foster
looks like everyone has spoken
who wants to offer a couple of
comments mainly driven by
public comment.
You know we're always
interested in public insight
about how we put our agenda and
how we word things.
But when I am 100 says
independent legal counsel for
the Office of the City Auditor
and the Audit Committee, I'm
not sure what else we can do
and why it gets confused with
the office of the aba But if
you want to make some
improvements about how our
languages are please let us
know.
Thank you MR. Right now for
being in the audience on this
one and the work that it took
to get this item forward and
also brief comments as final
two.
I want to congratulate those
commissioners on the cpd that
are willing to continue their
public service and be
reappointed to the acp.
The Commission on Public Police
Practices and to the public
comment that suggest that
yesterday's action that
the Council did any cherry
picking of who would be
appointed to the vacant seat I
thoroughly and completely
reject that If you actually had
paid attention to that I'm not
sure there was a 100% but
the Commission on Police
Practices did their own vetting
of a candidate and made their
recommendation.
I don't know that we hit 100%
of their recommendations but
pretty darn close.
And so I'm very proud of
the work that those people that
are willing to step up to serve
on the commission who
understand the assignment in
front of them and the process
that we went through to make
appointments you're always
going to lose someone who is
highly qualified but there's
always openings that reemerge
on the commission and I hope
they will engage again.
But I just want to make that
point.
So with that we have a motion
by Councilmember Moreno and a
second by Councilmember Ila
Rivera.
The move the consent items
please call the vote.
>> I start the voting system.
Please cast your vote That
passes unanimously 8 to 0 with
Councilmember Campos absent and
Councilmember Van Wilpert
voting no when I was 52 and 112
and Councilmember Foster voting
no on item 52.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
No objection.
Thank you for catching those no
votes.
Next, do we have any comments
from the mayor's office?
Councilmember City attorney,
independent budget analysts or
city clerk Not seeing any.
Oh, sorry.
Councilmember Rivera Thank you,
Council PRESIDENT.
I appreciate the opportunity.
I did want to speak to
something that troubled me over
the last week and it's killing
of two men Lorenzo Legado Raul
and Johann Sebastian Guerrero.
Lorenzo was 52 years old.
He had spent 35 years in this
country, had three American
sons, one a teacher, one an
engineer, one still in college.
He had no criminal record and
he was driving his construction
crew to a job site in Houston
Last Tuesday morning when I saw
officers shot him and killed
him as a sunset after nearly 35
years of working to give us
the American dream, he made
the choice to begin the process
of obtaining his American dream
through a work permit.
We dotted every I crossed every
t field, every document
attended every appointment.
He was close to obtaining his
legal status and he even had a
biometric scan and fingerprints
done earlier this year
Reynaldo, his son said that his
mother was told something bad
had happened to his dad around
7 A.M. Last Tuesday after
frantically looking for him at
his job site and finding his
empty van.
His son saw a video and he said
I recognized him not from his
appearance but from his voice
crying for help as he lay on
the street.
>> He was crying for help while
he was bleeding in the street
with handcuffs on.
That's not how his son wants
his father to be remembered not
as someone who got shot and
killed but as a family man a
man who understood the good
things come to those who put in
hard work.
Yohan was 26.
He was a delivery driver and
authorized to work here
Yesterday morning on his way to
work ice agents rammed his car,
fired through his windshield
and killed him And he was also
not the subject of of a warrant
His partner was on her knees in
the street.
Their three year old daughter
was standing next to her in her
blue pajamas.
>> In both cases the Department
of Homeland Security said
the same thing It has said
again and again that the man
weaponized his vehicle and that
the officer feared for his
life.
We've heard that account before
We heard that in Minneapolis.
We heard that in Texas.
We've heard that again and
again.
And when footage has emerged it
has not matched what we're told
The men who witness
the shooting of Lorenzo, his
brother and two of their
coworkers spoke to their family
members while on Immigration
and Customs Enforcement
detention where officers are
urging them to sign paperwork
for their removal from
the country so that they cannot
testify to what they saw.
Neither of these men was
stopped for a crime.
Neither was accused of one.
They were going to work.
They were brown men going to
work and they were targeted
exactly for that.
We've heard the stories that
ice has told about both of
these killings already change
Again, these allegations of
quote unquote weapons
weaponization of vehicles has
now become a more vague claim
of concern for public safety.
As of this morning ice agents
have been told to immediately
halt most vehicle stops
nationwide.
That's not enough.
The families of Lorenzo and
Johan deserve truth and
justice.
Why does that matter here?
Because San Diego is a border
city obviously, But we're also
the city we are because of our
immigrant refugee communities.
So folks who take care of our
children who run small
businesses and who literally
build a city, they're watching
what's happening and doing
the math about whether it's
safe to go to work.
That fear is not incidental,
that terror is the point that
this regime is intending to
inflict upon our communities.
We cannot pretend that it's
normal.
Ice is beyond reform.
It should be disbanded,
abolished however you want to
say it.
One last point on this There's
no footage for either of these
killings.
That's despite Congress giving
a $75 billion making it
the highest funded law
enforcement agency in
the federal government with
more money than the fbi,
the dea, the atf and the U.S.
Marshals combined.
It's a choice not to have
cameras, a choice to inflict
this sort of terror on our
communities and it's critical
that it stop.
So with that council PRESIDENT,
I'd ask that we hold a moment
of silence for Lorenzo Yohan
and their families.
Thank you.
Go to prison.
All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember member Rara.
>> We'll go next to council
member Von Wilpert.
>> I want to thank COUNCILMAN
Little Rivera for your comments
.
>> What ice is doing in our
nation is completely lawless.
It's completely chaotic and
it's wrong.
We here voted at the city of
San Diego to join the lawsuit
with Minneapolis to stop ice
from coming into our
communities without warrants
with their guns.
We train police around this
nation not to shoot into moving
vehicles unless it's absolutely
necessary And none of
the circumstances that are
coming out about the shootings
in Texas or in Maine would lead
us to believe that was
necessary at all.
>> So I hope that we can
continue to push forward with
this lawsuit.
We can continue to push forward
doing everything we can to keep
ice out of our communities here
in San Diego.
But I'm also really completely
baffled by the fact that our
U.S. Government won't even put
basic constitutional guardrails
on ice like our police have to
do And that's a federal issue.
We can't vote on that here
The city of San Diego.
But I hope that we continue to
push our federal officials if
they're going to continue this,
they have to do their job in
making sure every agency
follows the United States
Constitution in this country.
But thank you member over here
for raising up the families
that are suffering.
All right.
Thank you, Council member Von
Wolpert.
Anybody else requesting to
speak at this time We will now
take up not agenda public
comment Council members respect
and appreciate the public.
Some are fully committed to
protecting every participant's
free speech rights at Council
and committee meetings.
>> Please proceed with public
comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pearl 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 to
the front of the room If you're
joining us virtually please
raise your hand to speak by
tapping the raise your hand
icon or if you're calling
participant Star nine We'll
start with Brother Steven
Gerrard z Lasky if you can
please come up to the podium.
I know you have something on
the docket that we will be
sharing Paul Krueger and Laurie
Saldana If you can also please
come up to the Yellow Reserves
seats as well as allegedly
Andre and Maximilian Schmidt.
You'll have two minutes.
>> Thank you.
San Diego Council member
citizens and all listening and
participating Steven Gerrard's
would love ski a third order
Franciscan I'd like to up with
open with holy Scripture
because the Holy Bible guides
us lovingly Proverbs 815 says
By me Kings reign and rulers
issued decrees that are just
emphasizing that all earthly
authority leadership and fair
governance are ultimately
derived from GOD's wisdom.
Sounds like our leaders need to
move to the Holy Bible and
GOD's wisdom is what it sounds
like to me with what's going on
in America today.
I continue to amplify new usa
preborn personhood cities.
It's a new direction that
America can move in.
I put upon the overhead
the many verses of theological
covenant theology and as you
continue to delve into your
holy Scripture from time to
time, covenant theology is what
our wonderful Founding Fathers
knew very well and that's how
the us Constitution came about
.
I will let you know I have
attended the Washington dc
MARCH for Life also
the California MARCH for Life
and on various occasions
the San Diego a Walk for Life.
There is no place for violence
in the world and there's no
place for violence of
the innocent little ones
developing in the mother's.
There is a beating heart in
the mother's with separate dna
.
Pre-Born personhood can now be
established possibly even in
the district's mission.
San Diego is in District seven.
Let's do it there.
That's beautiful.
We've got the festival
The bells coming up here this
weekend.
I invite all of you to come
listen to the beautiful
festival The bells, the ringing
of the bells will be 12 noon
Sunday.
i hope to be there for
the blessing of the animals
Bring your animals 12 noon
Saturday like that.
GOD bless you.
Next we have Paul Kruger.
>> You also have a presentation
that will be put up.
Thank you very much.
I'm disappointed that
the council member from my
district left the days before
listening to these comments but
if Kevin chosen it's not
important.
I'm just here to restate
the importance of your taking
any action you can to reopen
the closed restrooms in Mission
Bay.
Um I think the postings I've
seen on social media have
received at least 5000
responses from San Diego who
are concerned upset,
frustrated, angry about these
closures.
And while I understand your
power over the budget is
limited, I urge you to please
take some action to work to
either find the money to reopen
the restrooms or to work with
groups that will do this work
voluntarily.
As I said yesterday, I have no
idea of the constraints on
volunteer groups handling
issues like this because of
labor but please examine that
possibility.
You know I spoke before about
what I thought was a terrible
dereliction of responsibility
when the mayor cut $70 million
from arts without first
surveying the available money
in the nonprofit contribution
area or working closely with
arts groups to come up with
ways to backfill all this money
before it was cut.
Now we know it was reinstated.
That's fine.
But I think it's also
absolutely even more
unacceptable that the money was
cut for these restrooms without
looking for alternatives to
keep them open And I hope that
one of them or more of you will
take some action to work with
these groups that are trying to
keep these restaurants
restrooms open.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Laurie Saldana, You have a
video you'd like to share?
Yeah.
Do you want the photo first or
the videos first?
>> The video please.
Thank you.
So what this is going to show
is a last night high tide in
Mission Beach at the south end
of Mission Boulevard and high
tide came last night about 9:00
And this is becoming
increasingly a public safety
issue.
The high tide without any storm
surge behind it is routinely
flooding the alleyways and
the parking lots at the south
end of Mission Beach.
So I can pause for your time
until we can.
>> All right.
Thank you.
I'm standing at the corner here
and that wasn't the entire one
that doesn't really show this
truck.
>> And there were other trucks
that were speeding through this
standing water and the water is
now completely exceeded
the storm drain capacity.
This is becoming increasingly
it needs to be a planned
retreat zone.
You can plan to move these
buildings out And there is an
image showing the high tide
table there you can plan or you
can have a catastrophic retreat
which is when we see a choice
where in the Choice Creek area
where people's lives are at
risk as well as property.
I want to encourage this
council to think in terms of
public safety, to think in
terms of how people are acting
when the water is flooding And
this actually is right outside
of what used to be apartments
and is now 90% in one building.
Short term vacation rentals
offer these people some
compensation to move them out
of this area and create a
retreat area or you will have
catastrophic losses along these
coastal areas.
Finally I just want to say
thank you MR. Foster.
I guess he is departed his
comment about p away Anyone of
you who has taken money from
pay and use that for your
campaigns or plans to do so in
the future I think their
attitude as reflected in their
comments tells you all you need
to know about why that is not a
good idea and why I moved for
the county party platform to
refuse money from law
enforcement agencies.
They rely on you for their
salaries.
>> You should not be getting
money in return.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Allegedly address And then
Maximillian Schmidt is the last
person here in council chambers
.
I can't forget about Blair.
>> I mean Bernie, I just find
it extremely difficult to
listen to you speak
hypocritically about wanting to
uphold the Constitution And
because you're infringing on
our Second Amendment and it
even says in there shall not be
infringed.
So I mean you can't be on both
sides of that either You're
totally supportive of all of it
or have none of it And I find
that you're probably supportive
of none of it because otherwise
you would uphold all of it And
that goes for all of you guys.
But it's sad to hear you talk
about deaths of people.
Nobody should be dying and
murdered of course, but it's
happening in your guys's city.
I come to you time and again
until you guys about people
dying at Tent City and it's
because they're homeless that
you guys don't care if they
were illegal or undocumented as
people would like to say then
you guys would What you did at
Cesar Chavez Park immediately
get those people out of that
encampment because it was
sensitive And it's like yet
people die like I mean even
Sean last year was saying like
we need to look into this and
imagine if he would have ten
more 12 more people wouldn't
have died.
>> But it's okay.
They're homeless.
It's more money.
You know, check the boxes of
like you know, saying that
there's more of them So we need
more money to come in And i
just find it sad because he
just went on the news and was
like talking about Tent City
and Tim Allen's death And it's
like what a slap in the face to
that man because he didn't have
to die And it's like it would
have been better to have Henry
up there just so he could
virtue signal because the guy
was African American or black
whatever we want to call it
these days.
It's just so sad that you guys
care about people you don't
even know while you have people
presently dying in your own
city and you don't care.
>> Maximillian Schmidt, if you
can please come forward on I
have no family or friends that
I'm close with and have been
homeless in Southern California
living on the streets for
almost two years and on
the vast majority of that time
I have not been staying at
the shelter.
I've been sleeping on
the streets and I am not a
victim of drug addiction or a
victim of just a mental illness
because I've also been told
them schizophrenic.
I'm a victim of the Masonic
Lodge depopulating homeless
people and the Freemasons.
A lot of people don't know
about the Freemasons but
the three Masons are
depopulating homeless people
across the world And when
the Freemasons do occult group
rituals in the Masonic Lodge
they actually become possessed
by the devil and telepathic And
what they do is called Zeus
said Song.
A lot of people know what Zeus
had sign Gaslighting is but
they don't know that
the Freemasons are doing it to
homeless people and literally
depopulating them in San Diego
And what they do is they
pretend to have a conversation
with each other and really they
say your thoughts out loud and
it's called a targeted
conversation And if you're
homeless living on the streets
they're surround you at all
times doing this.
So they're constantly acting
like some GOD figures And who
are you supposed to turn to?
No one.
No one believes you if you tell
them If you go to the police
they say you're crazy.
No one What do you do in a
society that normalizes
the third eye makes it clear
that they can see through your
eyes and they can read your
mind and they constantly are
making make you aware of that.
What do you do?
And no one believes you and all
city council are Freemasons and
guilty of depopulating.
That does conclude your time.
>> Blair Beekman Right where?
Beekman Thank you to Gary for
your words.
I hope the city of Oakland will
continue to develop its current
18 month process of community
participation to help find a
future better principal
The help prevent provided
besides plaque a reminder that
these are surveillance
technology policy ideas that
are open participatory
democracy and best practices.
These are ideas that tend to
develop sustainability peace,
open dialog and not war.
To note Oakland has a love life
philosophy that I feel can
include the idea of do no harm
to others in their policy
making promise.
I want to address and respect a
long time ally ship between
the U.S. And Israel and these
relations ups with the Mideast
overall.
But I also want to note I am
simply dedicated as many people
are at this time in history to
be developing concepts of peace
dialog and participatory
democracy is how to address
policymaking before the policy
practices of state violence,
genocide and continual war upon
innocent people.
Interestingly, people of local
us communities are starting to
better address us data
companies like Floc at this
time as clock seems to be over
Developing this data within
the context of supporting
international policies of war
and its harm To admit I'm not
fully understanding these
things but my words are trying
to connect to a decent reasoned
approach that MAY be developing
around the world at this time
and wanting to collectively try
to better address the future of
new corporations like plaque
and that we can begin to more
openly and vaguely clearly ask
and address Are these efforts
to leave more than just anger
and hatred towards Israel after
the past 25 years of shocking
state violence, pandemics,
genocide and continual war?
Hopefully there is a deeper
question at work at this time
that asked all of us How can we
practice the ideals of peace
and dialog to solve issues and
not war?
i hope this can be clarifying
some of my recent words.
I would also like to work to
end work sooner in San Diego if
possible but I also hope that
we can all see a good purpose
to simply create a more
neutral, safe, clearer
discussion in the fall of 26
and 20 seven.
>> Thanks.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude your time.
I have started the five minute
timer and we will turn to
virtual comment or begin with
Madison.
Please begin.
>> Hello San Diego City
Council.
I'm here to follow up on my
comment from yesterday's
meeting and highlight why youth
drug prevention should be a
bigger priority for city
council.
Despite years of commercial
marijuana sales, California is
still fighting a massive
illegal marijuana market.
That means our response cannot
simply be about enforcement.
It must also include
prevention.
As a parent my greatest concern
is the impact on young people.
Today's marijuana is far more
potent than what previous
generations were exposed to.
And research continues to link
frequent adolescent use with
increased risks of addiction
psychosis, depression, anxiety
impaired learning and changes
to the developing brain all of
which will obviously harm
society at large as this
generation grows up.
When marijuana becomes more
visible and more normalized,
many young people perceive it
as less harmful.
That makes prevention even more
important.
We need to invest in education
That gives youth accurate
science based information
before they begin experimenting
.
I encourage the city to
continue supporting youth
prevention programs, public
education and community
partnerships that help delay or
prevent marijuana use
altogether.
Every dollar invested in
prevention can spare a young
person from lifelong health
consequences and reduce future
costs to our health care and
behavioral health care systems.
Enforcement is important
because it addresses today's
illegal market.
But prevention protects
tomorrow's generation.
So I urge you to make forth a
priority.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Terry and
Scully.
>> Please begin.
>> Good afternoon.
San Diego City Council
PRESIDENT McEvoy.
My name is Terry and Scully and
I attend my planning group and
I also work in public health
and youth mentoring and
tutoring programs.
I applaud the city's vision of
just healthy and safe
environment and future for all
,especially for those
communities.
Historically, a storied glade
will have to be known as city
council person Morano described
this morning regarding Parks.
My youth mentoring and tutoring
programs in the city include
teens from very diverse
backgrounds on their behalf.
I came today to report that it
is these very teens from
diverse backgrounds who
experience health inequities
especially as they've been
targeted by tobacco and their
marijuana companies.
The African-American Tobacco
Control Leadership Council
released more excellent
research regarding how I quote
Big tobacco strategic Wrigley
targeted blacks and the deadly
consequences.
Now they are taking a close
look at the role of big
marijuana as well in creating
health inequities through their
promotion of smoking and
vaping.
Research continues to grow
regarding the role of these
products in creating cancer and
chronic disease related health
inequities among my minor
minority population Asians.
I respectfully suggest that
the cities enforcement efforts
to eliminate intoxicating
products sometimes nicotine,
sometimes marijuana sometimes
cbd be increased and that no
new business no new business
permits be allowed for tobacco
and marijuana businesses They
only harm those populations and
you must strive to serve.
Thank you for hearing my
concerns this afternoon.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Tony.
Please begin.
>> Our next speaker is Tony.
Tony again.
Commute for you.
>> Hello?
Can you hear me?
Yes, please begin your comments
.
Yes.
I just submitted something to
the city clerk.
Is it possible to pull up
the document?
>> No, I'm sorry.
Submissions do need to be
submitted 24 hours ahead of
time.
>> Okay then is it possible to
reset my time?
>> Yes.
Well, reset the time.
Yes.
Think.
Thank you.
I agree with Audra in
the comments that she made
earlier regarding Martin von
Wilpert.
You can't call yourself an
activist when you cherry pick
the Constitution and disregard
our Fourth Amendment rights by
voting in favor of floc.
And as a Chicano mexicano
American man, I'm tired of
hearing you politicize the pain
our people are suffering from
being targeted through flock
cameras.
You voted to empower and I'm
tired of hearing you cherry
pick the lowest hanging fruit
regarding abuse of authority in
relation to the state owned
monopoly on violence.
It's easy for you to pop up
your chest and pass ordinances
pretending to hold ice
accountable when you're serving
in a sanctuary city.
It's not so easy for you to
hold sd pd accountable for 42
million in public reserve
funds.
They've cost us this year
alone.
No mention by you ever about
police brutality.
On the contrary.
You vote to give them any toy
they claim to need and you
fabricate the reasons why your
support is justified.
Just last week you erroneously
claimed that the half $1
million armored tac cat was
used to stop the shooting in
San Isidro.
That's not the case.
That shooter was stopped by a
sniper and that case is another
case just like Valade just like
Columbine where the response by
law enforcement was so slow
that it caused a needless
amount of suffering.
Just like what happened at
the Islamic Center in San Diego
a couple months ago, the all
the tools, all the funding, all
the training goes out
the window The moment that it's
required to stop innocent lives
from being lost.
The moment that courage is
needed to actually stop the bad
guys that we give them all
these tools to go after.
Just earlier this week lapd
canceled their contract with
Flock.
I sent an article documenting
how there's been over 161
drivers that were subjected to
armed high risk stops after
automated.
>> Thank you though does
conclude your time.
Dolan Our next speaker is
Kathleen Lippert.
Please begin.
>> Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Thank you for letting me speak
.
I advocate for sound public
health prevention policies that
are effective economical and
sustainable cities that end up
with budget deficits are often
not coincidentally cities that
have failed to recognize
the importance of prevention
strategies.
Prevention strategies are by
their nature proactive versus
reactive reactive policies are
rarely sustainable but they are
always costly and their costs
continue to rise over time.
Cigaret butts have always one
of them one of the many of
the industries that create
these type could create toxic
waste that require the public
to be charged for cleaning them
up.
Our tobacco industry alcohol
industry what they typically do
is they they privatize, they
profit and they publicize
the big cost cigaret butts
we've been cleaning up for
decades and telling people that
they are one of the number one
waste products in the world But
we have never taken the step
the policy step that would
address genesis of the problem
and that is we should not allow
them to be sold in the first
place.
>> It would be the city would
benefit, the public would
benefit and public health would
benefit as well as
the environment.
If we started we prohibited
the sale of all single use
plastic vapes marijuana
cigarets and cigaret butts with
filters which do not that that
do not break down and they
cause a lot of harm to
the animals and the wildlife
and some of the recently
they've done studies.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude your time.
The five minute timer did go
off.
We have six speakers remaining
in the queue.
Our next speaker is Becky Rapp.
>> Please begin.
>> Good afternoon.
My name is Becky Rapp and I'd
like to add my voice to
the many residents who have
spoken yesterday and again
today about the ongoing closure
of public restrooms and around
our most popular beaches.
I want to add my voice because
this issue affects every
resident, every visitor and
the image of our city.
San Diego's beaches are our
greatest attraction.
They bring millions of visitors
from across the country and
generate the tourism revenue
that supports our local
economy.
If we allow our beach
communities to be known for
closed restrooms, unsanitary
conditions and hazardous waste,
we risk losing visitors to
neighboring destinations like
our neighbors up north in
Orange County.
I urge the Council to
reevaluate our priorities and
dedicate funding to reopening,
maintaining and cleaning public
beach restrooms.
I understand funding is a
problem and encourage you to
reevaluate enforcement against
smoking vape shops that
continue to sell or advertise
illegal products.
Fines and fees collected from
those enforcement actions
should be reinvested directly
into the communities most
impacted especially Pacific
Beach Mission Beach and
the Bayfront.
We also need stronger
enforcement against illegal
advertising and the signage in
storefront windows that are
blatantly promoting illegal
products such as kratom
flavored tobacco and
intoxicating hemp products that
are marketed as cbd plus.
These storefronts and
billboards send the wrong
message as they are in
residence and tourist faces
when they visit our beautiful
beach communities.
Our beach communities are
the first impression many
visitors have of San Diego.
They should reflect a city that
is clean, safe, healthy and
welcoming.
By enforcing existing laws,
cleaning up our commercial
corridors and reinvesting those
revenues into open functional
public restrooms and beach
beautification, we can
strengthen tourism while
improving the quality of life
for residents.
Thank you.
Please these prior Our next
speaker is Judy Strange Please
begin.
Good afternoon San Diego City
Council.
I'd like to continue
the conversation that began
yesterday regarding how
important roads safety is here
to our city and the cost when
our city roads aren't safe.
And bring to your attention to
the work that's been going on
nationally regarding
the serious safety concerns
that one of the very largest
organizations, the American
Trucking Association has
brought to the national scene
And that's the concern that
perhaps marijuana testing would
be dropped from
the requirements.
They very much want it to
continue.
As I point out, this includes
truck drivers, pilots, transit
operators and they go on to say
other safety sensitive workers
and then they list those
workers.
They include bus drivers,
flight attendants, air traffic
controllers, air mechanics,
rail operating personnel
dispatchers, its signal
personnel, transit operators
and pipeline workers.
They all provide safety
critical high risk duties that
are so important to us not only
the city of San Diego but
nationwide.
And how important it will be to
test real time marijuana
impairment through the testing
that is now in place.
So they have written
the federal government
the American Trucking
Association and now they have
been joined by the National
Transportation Safety Board who
also warned about compromising
our safety by not testing for
marijuana any longer.
At this point this requirement
to test is still in place And I
think for the sake of
the traveling public that it
should stay in place and as a
hub for travel.
i think here at San Diego we
would agree.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Eddie
Harms.
Please begin.
>> Thank you.
Can you show the second page of
the document that I apply to
please?
I'm sorry Submissions do need
to be provided 24 hours before
it was provided last week.
I'm sorry we do not have that
at this time So if you could
please begin.
If you could reset my time and
let me start.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Comes from across
the presidents, mayor and
council members.
My name is Eddie Harness.
Everybody knows from being a
resident of the great city
something since 2008.
I'm here today to expose
the legalize came a computer is
running on the printers for
your studio has finalized
anyone moving to new residents
by automatically charging
the absolute maximum for sewer
services under the arbitrary
meter monitoring policy.
Because I'm moving to my home
in JUNE 2025 be said to
continue in NOVEMBER to wait
for monitoring when I was
forced to pay maximum charges
for entire year.
This policy punishing renters
to stay in one place is
becoming impossible due to
constant rate hikes economic
economic downturn when forced
to move to move the city resets
to trap the move.
The moment I sign a new lease
I'm hit with a new maximum
surcharge all over again.
These are the absurdity.
It's clear I live in a one
bedroom, one bathroom home with
zero landscaping from my
building and in JUNE 22nd I use
five acres of water averaging
64 gallons per day.
Yet my total utility bill
reached $244.
My water my water based fuel
surcharge 23% to $71 My source
ever starts reach $106 as a
cost of 70%.
I'm just going to jump here
because I don't have enough
time.
I demand a fair a fair sewer
rate based on actual water
usage not a dream of maximum
capacity scenario designed to
price Each residence is
affiliated with a ship and
needs to be fixed immediately.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Next speaker is caller with
the last four digits 8700.
Please begin Joyce in a thank
you deputy city clerk.
So like I've done a few times
before I was really prepared
and polished to speak on what I
was going to speak to in
the public column today and
they're gone.
Those comments are gone and I'm
going to speak extemporaneously
right now.
Every single word is coming out
about what thought what
happened in these chambers
today.
If you feel this is what we've
been doing all year together,
this is the only thing for me
to do together is to struggle
is the beauty is the fight is
the love.
It's the truth.
It's all of that.
It's part of the human
condition.
It's a miracle but it's also a
beautiful struggle.
And I just want to say to every
body who participated today I
celebrate you.
I just This is it, kids.
This is life.
Don't MISS It for a minute
because it's all there is and
it's precious.
And ticks, ticks, ticks.
I I can't believe how fast my
life has gone in And so I do
need to say that to all of you
because you're going on
the beautiful summer recess.
Enjoy it.
I wish you just a great time
but I don't want us to look at
this as anything but beautiful.
This is life itself together.
Thank you.
That does conclude your time.
Thank you all.
Our next speaker is Amanda.
>> Please begin.
I hate to be Debbie Downer in
up in contrast to the last
caller but I was actually just
popping in to think that what
happened in these chambers
today was disgraceful.
>> We spent an hour dueling
proclamations and celebration
which I think is beautiful.
I love that we had 30
consistent items on the agenda.
I heard city Council members
ask what ten questions?
Maybe we gave 15 million to
soltero 106,000,002 or
3,850,000 to Pasadena
Consulting 1.2 million to Orion
Construction right where we
didn't talk about steel 15
apartments that we've now spent
$8 million of interest on a $60
million loan.
We spent an hour doing
celebration and we spent less
than an hour.
We didn't get a presentation.
I didn't know that my my
garbage was getting recorded.
I didn't know until I started
digging that the contractor
rate rig has increased.
Where's my numbers Here?
>> I have a.
So 2018 City Council entered a
$3 million contract with for
the trash collection 2021 up to
8.5 million 2021 went up to 38
million.
And now today 2035 we're going
up to $106 million on freaking
trash cans.
I think we should spend a
little bit longer than an hour.
We need a lot more transparency
in the city council.
Honestly, this is embarrassing.
It's a joke.
Have a good resource and start
looking for new jobs because
whoever we can vote out in
NOVEMBER is getting voted out.
>> Thank you.
Our final speakers Natalie
Maskey please begin.
>> Hi Natalie.
Rush here.
I just wanted to touch base
with the gentleman who brought
up the bathrooms.
I always forget to mention why
we were out there on
the streets.
I should have said this during
the budget.
My children started holding
going to the bathroom That can
really really mess up someone's
intestines and all sorts of
things.
i always forget to mention that
.
That's sad.
It's sad.
With information at our
fingertips.
And I've said this before.
We need to start really doing a
lot of research on what is
being implemented by our
federal government with
the plaque They're picking up
blue tubes.
They're picking up a lot of
stuff.
And like I said, I don't want
to be round up and put on ranch
because I don't see any other
direction where the city MAY be
going with no shelters, no
bathrooms.
What are we setting people up
for?
Now the city the cow fresh to
the medical I just don't
understand.
And the information has been
brought to me just for everyone
to know that has children when
you go to jump around.
If you look at the fee waiver
or data recording our children
and you're signing up saying
that it can be used live
wherever they want to use it in
other countries.
So when you go to a jump around
or bounce around place
the waiver they're in all of
them.
And they're feeding our
streaming our children's lives
while they're playing to other
countries.
It says it right there in
the local jump around here.
We need to start really doing
research in where we're
investing our time and our
money.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude the agenda.
Public comment.
I think you Deputy City Clerk
council members I'm open.
Thank you.
I should have said this during
council comments or we're on
recess.
I just want to note that I care
deeply about people who are
suffering from overdose and
addiction whether they're in a
house, whether in camping,
whether it parking.
And I should mention earlier at
a deputy city attorney I got to
be one of only litigators suing
the pharmaceutical companies
who caused this problem
including Purdue
Pharmaceuticals in a for
feeling themselves who were
which themselves off the death
of all of us.
And then when I got here I
fought with the mayor over how
we're going to use
the settlement funds And I
fought with the county too,
including using the funds to
purchase a medical ban and
funding put it into system so
we could actually do street
medicine that provides Suboxone
to people on the street so they
wouldn't have to come into
the yards to get care.
We partnered with ucsd Health
and there are three emergency
rooms in the college area and
ucsd and Hillcrest to hire on
call psychologist and here
navigators If someone over
overdoses and survives they no
longer have a sheet of paper
and say good luck they actually
have someone to hold their hand
to get them into rehab and help
with that earlier because we do
care deeply about it.
So thank you.
Thank you Councilmember.
So we will now adjourn for
the recess and reconvene open
session at 2 P.M. Or shortly
thereafter And not
have
to
go
.
All right.
Good afternoon.
I will now reconvene the city
council meeting of Tuesday,
JULY 14th, 2026.
>> clerk Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
member Campbell Council Member
Whitburn here Council Member
Foster Council Member Von
Wilpert Council PRESIDENT Pro
Timely Council Member Campo
Councilmember Moreno Present
Council Member Ella Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT LaCava
present.
Also attending the meeting are
Assistant City Attorney Leslie
Fitzgerald, Independent Budget
Analyst Charles Monica, Council
Affairs Advisor in the Mayor's
office, Code advisor and myself
your city Clerk Diana Fuentes
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk a quorum is now
present with that clerk Please
introduce item f five oh six
items 5o6 is the acceptance of
the Stantec memorandum
modifying the 2025 water cost
of service study and
authorization to issue
the Proposition 218 notice and
to set a public hearing date
for a water rate adjustment.
If you'd like to speak on this
item please be sure to raise
your hand by pressing Star nine
or you raise your hand icon
You're here in council chambers
Please submit your speaker slip
.
Thank you and have All right.
Thank you City Clerk and staff
as you settle yourself in
introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need.
>> Okay?
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
I'm Lisa Sliwa, interim
director of the Public
Utilities department.
And with me is Adam Jones,
deputy director of finance.
We'll need about ten minutes
for our presentation today.
All right.
When you're ready.
So as noted today I'll be
presenting item s5o6 acceptance
of the Stantec memorandum
modifying the 2025 water cost
of service study and
authorization and to issue
the Proposition 218 notice and
set a public hearing date for
water rate adjustment two items
today.
>> First we are requesting
Council set a public hearing
date for OCTOBER 6th, 2026 to
consider and vote on
the proposed water rate
adjustments required as a
result of the Patz litigation.
Second, I will walk through
the details of the proposed
rate adjustments that
transition at our rates to a
unitary structure and
the anticipated monthly impact
to customers.
We are here today because of a
legal decision that is forcing
a shift in how we structure
water rates.
While the city believes
the rate structure is legally
compliant, the courts have
established a different legal
standard now that all available
legal remedies have been
exhausted.
Our role today is to implement
the Court's decision.
As a result, rates will be
changing for all customer
categories.
Our priority is to be proactive
and transparent in how we
communicate this change so
customers understand what is
happening and why.
First I'll provide an overview
of the Pats versus the city of
San Diego litigation how rates
are set, what was challenged
and how the courts ruled.
Before getting into
the litigation itself.
It is important to understand
how rates are set in our
industry nationally.
Utilities use accepted cost of
service methodologies
allocating costs to customer
classes based on engineering
standards and best assumptions
about how customers use
the system.
Our Industry guidebook is
the American Waterworks
Association's m-1 Principles of
Water Rates, fees and charges
similar to how engineers relied
on standard reference codes or
accountants rely on gasb
accounting standards.
>> The city goes a step further
independently of public
utilities.
The aba hires a third party
party consultant to review our
cost of service methodology and
raise any public policy
concerns or recommendations.
Tiered water rates are widely
used throughout California
because they help balance costs
,recovery conservation and
equity.
>> With conservation is a
natural outcome of tearing not
an objective proposition to 18
has historically been
implemented as allowing
agencies to use reasonable
engineering judgment within
accepted cost allocation
methodologies.
This is how agencies statewide
and across the country have
operated for decades.
Pass was filed 11 years ago
today challenging the city's
Single-family residential
tiered water rates.
Under Prop 218 parts represent
high volume single family
residential user and their
claim was that the high volume
users were subsidizing lower
volume tiers.
The Supreme Court ruled
the city did not meet its
burden of proof under Prop 218.
In MARCH of 2020 to
the appellate court affirmed
that decision in JULY 2025 and
the California Supreme Court
denied our petition for review.
In late OCTOBER 2025.
At this point we have exhausted
all legal remedies.
Importantly, the courts did not
disagree with our use of
industry standards for
allocating cost to various
customer categories.
What they said is that those
methodologies do not satisfy
Prop 218 evidentiary burden
which effectively requires
direct proof that every
allocation exactly corresponds
to proportional cost of
service.
The dissenting appellate judge
warned that the majority
opinion exceeds traditional
engine engineering and utility
practice standards and could
make tiered water rates very
difficult for agencies
statewide to defend.
This is becoming a pattern.
The same attorneys who brought
Patz previously overturned Otay
Water District's tiered rate
structure and are currently
challenging Wp's tiered rates.
Based on the court's decision.
The city is now required to
modify its rate structure.
That means moving to a single
unitary or flat rate for volume
metric charges along with some
adjustments to fix monthly
service charges to reflect
the new volumetric approach.
The city will also have to pay
a $40 million settlement.
Council previously adopted a
14.5% rate increase effective
JANUARY 1st, 2027.
It's important to emphasize
the total revenue public
utilities collects under these
adjustments is the same as
authorized last OCTOBER.
We are not asking for more
money.
We are required to change who
pays and how much.
With lower volume users paying
somewhat more and high volume
users paying less in order to
comply with the court's
findings.
Next we'll walk through
the specifics of the proposed
rate adjustments.
>> The shift to a unitary rate
and the expected monthly impact
on customers.
This slide depicts
the transition from our
previously adopted tier
structure to the proposed
unitary rate.
Under the previously adopted
JANUARY 1st, 2027 rates single
family residential customers
had three tiers with separate
volumetric rates for
multifamily commercial,
industrial and irrigation
customers.
Under the proposed unitary rate
every customer class pays
the same rate per volume of
water use and this is in
compliance with the patch
litigation on this table.
These are estimated average
monthly bill impacts by
customer category.
To give a sense of the impact.
But we do understand that each
bill and its impact to our
customers is unique to that
customer.
As you will see a single family
low volume user would see an
increase of about $5.62 per
month or 7.1%.
Conversely, a single family a
high volume user would see a
decrease of about $19.52 per
month or 5.9%.
Multifamily properties will
also see a slight decrease of
2%.
And it should be noted that
this is on the entire ca
customer and not maybe
the individual.
Sorry.
To be clear the multifamily
figure reflects the properties
bill as a whole not the impact
to each individual tenant.
In addition irrigation
customers will also see a
decrease.
Now we'll be briefly review our
planned outreach activities
from JULY through OCTOBER 2026
leading up to the public
hearing.
State law requires us to mail a
Proposition 218 notice to all
affected customers in advance
of the public hearing.
The notice will be mailed to
approximately 286,000 customers
in late 20th JULY to 2026.
It will be translated into ten
different languages to reach
our full customer base and will
also be posted on the dedicated
rate adjustment web page.
As I just noted, we have
created a dedicated web page as
a central source of information
for customers on this rate
adjustment.
The page will be updated as
each key milestone in
the outreach process occurs.
From JULY through OCTOBER we
are deploying a multi-channel
approach effort so customers
understand what is changing and
why.
That includes a simplified
flier, an explainer video
social media contact in a set
of frequently asked questions.
The goal is to reach customers
through multiple touchpoints.
Given the scope of this change
that nearly all rate payers are
affected.
To conclude we are requesting
the Council to accept the 2026
Stantec Memorandum modifying
the 2025 water cost of service
study and set a public hearing
date to consider approval of
the transition to the unitary
rate structure that will comply
with the outcome of the past
litigation.
Thank you and we are available
for any questions.
All right.
Thank you for the work and
thank you for the presentation
and we'll now turn it over to
the office of the rba for
comments.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
members of the Council.
Good afternoon.
My name is Jordan Moore with
the Office of the rba.
Our office has been following
the Patriotic action closely
and have been in frequent
communication with public
utilities regarding the item
before you today.
We thank Beauty for keeping us
informed on their efforts to
develop a unitary volumetric
rates that comply with
the court decision which is
what is before you today.
Rates that comply with a court
order.
We want to highlight that this
rate adjustment is not being
driven by the needs to operate
the water system which are what
most cases are based upon but
rather this is purely about
adjusting rates to comply with
current legal requirements.
Importantly the rates to be
noticed do not increase
the overall revenue requirement
for the water system and will
not result in Puti collecting
any more total revenue than
what they were projecting to
them than what they were
projecting to in the most
recent cost of service study
and rate case that council
approved last year.
To the extent beauty incurs
additional costs in the near
future those would have to be
absorbed in the short term and
ultimately reflected in a
future rate case.
But today's action is simply to
set a rate case to adopt
uniform rates that will bring
in the same total revenue as
our existing rates which is
necessary to comply with
the legal decision.
To that end, our office
recommends that Council approve
the staff recommendation today.
Thank you and we are available
for any questions you MAY have
.
All right.
Thank you Jordan.
We always appreciate the input
of the aba or the office of
the aba.
>> With that city clerk please
proceed with public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I will note
as I noted this morning that
there were no organized
presentations submitted for
this item or any items this
afternoon.
Starting with Michael Schmidt.
If you can please come up to
the podium You will have one
minute after that is allegedly
Audra and then Blair Beekman.
>> Hello.
Good.
Yes, hello.
Good afternoon.
Michael Sherman from District
four.
Nice to see you guys.
I just don't like the fact that
there are going to be raising
the water rates for customers
and even families.
Um, I don't know what to say
about it.
>> It's not cool.
Thank you.
Allegedly Audra, you've given
us one minute.
>> Yeah, to 18 is quite an
interesting dichotomy that is
unique to California where it's
like, you know, for taxes you
need a majority to pass it.
But for things like rate
increases you need a majority
protest.
I mean that allows you guys to
sit here and increase our rates
like nobody's business And you
know the sad thing is is that
we sell water.
We sit here and act like we're
in a drought.
But I mean if we were I would
pour out half of my water and
give it to somebody else.
So that is proven in your
tactics.
And so as far as like following
the Constitution, this seems I
mean when this be
unconstitutional when it's like
you're going to need over
100,000 people to say no, we
don't want this.
Nobody's here.
Outside of your staff Pretty
much.
So it's like you don't give
the people the ability outside
of your you know, warning them
kind of.
But I mean these people don't
even look in their bills and
see that kind of stuff.
So it's extremely sad to see
and to know that I is also
going to be taking all of our
fresh water.
>> Thank you for that
concluding comment.
Blair Beekman Hi we're Beekman
could public comment.
It would be sad to think this
is a backdoor way that grapes
are going to continue to be
increased.
Mm hmm.
I wish I knew how to better
address this type of issue.
Thank you for the presentation.
I hope the public process for
the future of the water board
issues is starting to better
develop.
We're all understanding how
important that can be and
the important importance of
the public process overall in
our local practices.
Good luck How the public can
have input and making that
available to understand this
issue better and how we move
forward with it.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment here in council
chambers going to those
participating remotely and we
have two speakers in the queue.
Michael Dyer if you can please
unmute.
You'll have one minute.
>> Please proceed.
Yes, thank you.
Michael Dwyer.
District two.
I'm confused by
the presentation especially
slide number nine and ten on
slide nine it's presenting that
the volumetric for the lowest
single family residential is
$9.75 going up to 1109 That is
a 14% increase.
However on Slide ten all of
the single family users are
shown at half or less on
the percentage.
So on that one slide you're
increasing the rate by 14%.
On the other side it's half of
that.
So I'm confused and maybe
the council is as well.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is Zoom user if you can
please the mute.
>> Well Lake Mead and Lake
Powell are at all time low man
The water is running out of our
system.
Do not sell any of our water.
We wait for a few months when
Phenix is begging for water.
Now's the time Not to sell any
water.
Lake Mead and Lake Powell are
all time lows.
That means sell high or or
we're going to They're going to
be begging for water.
Now's not the time to sell
anything.
Wait till I have the bag and
cry and then we'll double.
We'll have we'll get double
the money for it if we sell any
of it.
But that's the typical game And
it also open the bathrooms in
South Beach and come on.
Well we don't need to save
water.
We need to flush some toilets.
>> Good luck.
Next is 8700 If you can please
unmute join.
A couple of things.
First of all I don't really
know this well I didn't go for
it.
$40 million settlement to be
paid by the city.
Could one of you on the council
explain that to the public?
That would be great And this is
a legal obligation on
the unitary rate.
So I'll say this we have equity
Excuse me That's equality and
we have equity.
There are two very different I
learned that about three years
ago.
It looks like this is striving
for equality of all income
levels but there's not equity
involved in it But it's a legal
obligation So what is one to do
but to obey the rules of
the law?
So best of luck with this and
of course looking and setting
the hearing date.
Thank you.
Well, thank you, Tony.
And then Natalie Rashidi is
currently the last one with her
Henry's Tony Academy Before you
just hear me, you sound a
little far away.
>> Once again.
>> But we can't hear.
We can't hear you.
Make you out.
>> Please proceed.
Okay.
I just wanted to say I
registering a neutral position
on this particular topic.
I feel like it's probably a
necessary evil.
But while we're on
the conversation as of this
topic I noticed in one of
the agenda topics earlier today
one of the consent items was
talking about some of
the chemicals that were to be
purchased to be put into this
water.
I hope that we can have a
discussion about some of
the things that we're putting
into the water for water that
succeeded And I know that I
need to get to that for
different reasons with
different things.
But I do also know that in 2011
we were the last city in one of
the last major cities in the us
to Florida on water And I know
eating our water is not a good
thing for all kinds of
independent studies about it.
So yeah that's because again
you not only of this what this
what the consequences of this
tax would be but also what what
it entails by putting your time
has concluded.
>> Natalie if you can please
unmute.
Hi.
Hi Natalie here That slide was
confusing.
I agree with that gentleman.
I was kind of confused and
anything I'm going to repeat it
anything that we do who is to
benefit the most when we make
these decisions?
>> That is what's most
important to me.
What are the intentions behind
the people We do business with
and how does it benefit our
city and how does it benefit
the people?
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on this item.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk I'll kick
things off.
So I'll start out by thanking
you, Lisa and the Public
Utilities Department for
preparing the updated analysis
and proposal.
Thank the city attorney's
office for the very good fight
that in the end we didn't
prevail on.
But I appreciate the legal work
that was done to defend
the city and more importantly
defend the ratepayers.
Thank you Jordan on the aba for
your analysis.
And as we've heard, unlike past
rate changes this comes at
the direction of the courts and
ties our hands.
I can't emphasize enough and I
hope this come across in
the presentation.
This was not about pd but it
was about the courts
overturning how all water
districts and jurisdictions set
water rates.
And I appreciate that.
If I could find it real
quickly.
The dissenting opinion at
the appellate level warned that
the majority opinion exceeded
traditional engineering utility
practices and could make tiered
water rates extremely difficult
for agencies statewide to
defend.
Again, with every jurisdiction
every water district does.
The courts decided we've
settled with the courts.
We got in their direction.
I personally remain committed
to pursuing all options to keep
water rates and water bills low
for San Diego And so when you
use less you should be able to
pay less.
Again, the courts thought
otherwise.
As for today's item, our action
is not about adopting water
rates.
That's why there's probably
nobody here to either object or
protest this.
This is out of date OCTOBER 6th
That will be the time for
people to register their
protest or objection.
Our action today is primarily
to set that hearing date of
OCTOBER 6th and approve
the public notice to be mailed
out.
So I want to thank pd staff for
working with my office on
the public notice to make sure
it is helpful and clear to
the public as possible while
complying with Prop 218 because
we need to follow that law
which by the way was adopted by
a vote of the people and that's
what we have to live by.
So with that I will move
the staff recommendation and
I'll turn it over to
Councilmember Eli Rivera.
The PRESIDENT Can we put
the slide that had
the different the impacts with
the changes portfolio?
No thank you.
The next one yeah I appreciate
the work on this and the effort
to help us understand this help
the public understand it.
I just I think this is really
an important slide because it
and some of the public was
picking up on this This is a
overtly anti equitable ruling
that requires us to to then you
know implement in this
direction.
So you know when I think of
single family low user I'm
thinking about a single senior
maybe a couple that is using
very little water They're being
very conscious about that.
And on the other end of
the spectrum, Pat's a wealthy
owner of a large home that has
made choices to continue using
significant some significant
amounts of water despite
the impacts on the environment
and that wealthy individual now
receive receiving a reduction
in their bill while the water
conscious senior has to pay
more and that makes me angry.
I think it should make most
folks who are trying to save
money just try to get by And in
this city and in a state this
is a state wide ruling to make
everyone angry So Katherine was
trying to get to this just to
make sure we're 110 explicit
about it.
>> There's nothing that we
believe we can do about this
short of an amendment of
the California Constitution.
>> Is that accurate?
Yes, because we've exhausted
all legal remedies in this is a
is a part of the state
constitution And the only thing
to change that is a vote of
the people right.
So I just I can't emphasize
this enough While marketing
behind something like Prop 218
is it is attractive to too many
people the implications are
situations like this where
we're prohibited from not even
just from being fair but even
comment using common sense and
how we charge folks for
something like water usage for
the impacts that users have on
our system and what that means
for us as a society.
So it's just worth remembering
the Prop 218 is the result of
anti-government radicals trying
to drown trying to tie
the hands of local government
from providing the services
that people depend on.
And this is just I think this
is really unfortunate and I
appreciate the dissenting
opinion here but I very much
think it requires all of us to
take a look at just the ways
that policies that are guys as
protections for taxpayers are
really just the opposite and
make it more difficult for for
local government to serve
the public well and that you
know I'll go off the soap box
here in a moment the resident
But you know it's water rates
It's also the ability to tell
the public what we'd like to
dedicate revenue for and taxes
but that requiring a two thirds
threshold instead of a simple
majority the thing that would
actually provide voters more
trust and their ability in our
ability to use the tax dollars
that we receive and the exact
way that they'd like them used.
So all of this comes before us
with the same radical
anti-government think tank and
organization that put us in
this in this bind here That's
extremely unfortunate And I
will second the motion because
we don't have a choice.
>> All right.
Thank you, Council member Ella
Rivera.
And again, we do have a motion
by myself to move the staff
recommendation, the second by
council member Eli Rivera.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Bond.
Woolverton Thank you very much.
Thank you for the presentation
on this.
I have some questions as well
and I'll have comments on
the court decision which is not
the water department's Civil
the two slide slides nine and
ten that some of our commenters
asked about is it 14% and it's
7%?
Can you explain the difference?
Yes.
Slide nine only focus on
the volumetric charges which is
only one component of
everybody's bill because that
is what is changing
significantly in things like
ten includes both volumetric
and fixed charges.
So that is why there's a
difference.
So it's kind of reduced down
because there's not that many
changes happening on it.
The Prop 218 notice gives all
these details by both fixed and
volumetric rates.
Okay.
Yeah hopefully that explained
it for the court.
It is very complicated but
the water rate is not the only
portion of bill so that's why
it's not impacting it in
the same way.
I also have a question about
could you bring up slide 8 or 9
or 10 to 1 please?
Thank you.
So in the population the class
that was certified was all
single family homeowners or all
single family users single
family residential customers
have the exact wording And so
why are we now lumping in those
rates with multifamily and
urban customers Because they
weren't part of the class.
Yes, I'll talk about that and
then the attorneys can jump in
as needed.
The court made a very broad
discussion specifically as it
relates to something called a
peaking factor or a demand
factor.
So basically this looks at how
customers deviate from
the average.
So if you have a large swing
from your most extreme users to
the average, you have a high
peaking factor.
They specifically said unless
you had really clear data on
peaking factors like at the as
we've described in briefings
like hour by hour that you
didn't have enough to meet
proposition to 18 factors that
was very specific by the court
and saying that that was not a
rational usage under 218
because those factors were used
to differentiate between
classes like single family
residence, multifamily and
irrigation in order to be fully
compliant with the ruling we
needed to remove the peaking
factors from from all customer
classes And then again
the attorneys can step in on
that specifics I echo Adam's
statements.
>> It really is that they
attacked our methodology and so
we can't just adjust it in
the single family residential
class because it also
implicates the other classes as
well.
So if we adjust it we have to
adjust it across the board And
if not I think that would
subject us to another challenge
to those rates based on
the decision.
>> Okay.
Is there a different way we
could in irrigation customers I
assume watering lawns, golf
courses, things like that I
mean that's completely
different Use than a single
family home that's using it to
wash their dishes and take a
shower So in order to comply
this was why we made
the decision to go to unitary
right in order to comply we
would need two sets of data
points on the customer site.
We would need to know their
usage every single user every
single minute of every single
day And then on our side we
would need to know expenses and
when we incur those expenses at
each point of the day and then
we would have to allocate cost
between those two different
sites Essentially the only
thing we probably come up with
is a 286,000 customer rate case
because we'd have to do rates
by every single person.
There was no way we could
identify it in regards to
meeting the court's level of
proof which is why
the dissenting judge says
you're making it impossible
across the state.
Okay.
>> And today we're just we're
just setting the date for
the hearing So I could still
argue my points on this at
the hearing.
Okay.
Thank you.
You can take the slide down.
All right.
Because I understand your
argument and I'm trying to
comply but I think I'd like to
dig into that a little more
because it just seems so unfair
to charge the senior citizen
who's using a little bit of
water at the same rate as
the golf course irrigator.
There's completely different
customers.
So and because the Court in
order to do that that's where
I'm a little uneasy about it
But given that we are being
forced to do this by the court
I will support the item today.
I don't know if I will support
in OCTOBER the rate I don't
think I quite agree with you.
I will have time to dig into
that.
I do understand we do have to
notice the hearing though to
comply with the court order and
I don't think any of the judges
are listening to this but maybe
they are or maybe their court
folks are.
>> But the Pat versus City of
Claims decision undermines one
of the most effective tools
that cities have to encourage
water conservation which is
pricing that rewards people who
use less water And by striking
down our tiered water rates,
the court's decision makes it
so much harder for cities
because this decision applies
to all cities in California.
This is not just a San Diego
issue.
Other cities were facing
litigation too.
So now none of us can use
pricing to incentivize
conservation.
So instead of allowing us to
allow lower volume users to
benefit from lower rates, we're
being forced to do a single
tiered pricing structure for
everybody no matter how much
they use.
And this is so backwards.
You know the cost of living in
California is already
incredibly high and we
shouldn't be charging customers
the same rate as high use
customers And if we're serious
about protecting our water
resources and lowering costs
for our residents, local
governments should have
the flexibility to set tiered
water rates to incentivize
people to use less water.
But since the California Court
of Appeals and the Supreme
Court have interpreted Prop 218
differently and disagree with
every city in California, we
now have to do this.
And I just think it's
completely unfair and wrong.
>> So I mean we usually set our
our lobbying goals at
the beginning of the year.
But I would encourage us to ask
our Sacramento lobbying firms
to start talking about this.
I mean maybe Prop 218 is a
constitutional amendment to
the voters of California to
have to vote on it.
But there's also lots of
interpretation to be had and
possibly the state of
California legislature could
write a law to help conserve
water again in the state.
So just I'll leave it up to
them.
My last question is about
the $40 million settlement and
how that's going to work
because at the end of the day
that just gets built in to
the rate increases, right?
Correct.
At this point in time even
though we are we are needing to
do a $40 million settlement
which is in addition to what we
previously identified, we
decided not to ask for
additional increases.
We are going to have to take
some potential impacts on our
code to offset that increase
because at this point in time
we're not asking for anything
Obviously will recover that
when we come forward with
the next rate setting.
I do not have the details
specifically on the cip
projects that are being
deferred.
I've asked the team to go and
do that detail because we need
to have we just entered
the fiscal year 26.
We want to have updated
information we'll have that way
in advance of the OCTOBER
hearing and the $40 million is
refunding property owners who
use more water and we're
charged a higher rate.
It's three components.
It obviously pays for
the plaintiffs attorneys and
then also provides refunds for
the impacted customers.
Yes.
Okay.
And the court is in line with
all of this and that is still
subject to being going forward
before the courts It is
expected this fall.
Okay.
So we have to authorize it and
then the court will review it.
>> Okay.
Got it.
Okay.
Well thank you for the work on
this.
Again, I will reserve more
questions about the actual
dollar amount of the rate but
since we are being forced by
the California courts to set a
single rate that's why we have
to have this hearing and our
hands are tied and I will I'll
vote to set the hearing.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member of I'm Wolpert
we'll go next to council member
Foster thank you thank you for
the presentation um this is
quite concerning for me in just
listening to public comment and
I appreciate the technical
approach in this but I think in
listening to the public comment
I think there's several other
questions that I think are
relevant to this discussion And
as we talk about impact based
on the way it's presented, I
don't think folks can truly
understand exactly what's
taking place.
And I just want to look at this
from the standpoint of what we
just went through with trash,
right?
District four was hit pretty
hard with trash because of our
single family to multifamily
ratio.
We were hit hard And I'm
assuming if you can answer
this, is this the same type of
impact that we are seeing kind
of in the same relation of
trash where District four one
of the communities that has
historically been resource
disinvested that we are going
to see the major impact of this
result.
Is that fair?
Have we looked at that?
Do we understand that?
So it's a little bit different
in regards to being a single
family versus multifamily
because within the single
family are the high end users.
So if we look at it in regards
to where high and high volume
users are, yes it impacts it's
benefiting the high volume
users and it is impacting
greatly the lower volume users.
And where do we typically find
our large smaller lots like our
large volume users?
>> Yeah.
Where do we find those?
I think everybody has a
everybody has I do not have
the specific okay well let's
just take whoever filed
the lawsuit whoever did this.
Where are they at?
Yes, they are in Council
district two there in two.
>> But what what area District
two is spread out.
Right.
How big is their lot?
How big is their home?
>> What is it?
>> Yes.
So it is a larger lot compared
to in the average size.
Yes.
What does that mean 20,000ft?
What is it Do we know ten
The one thing I would would add
Councilmember one of the key
things that came up as we were
going through this process it
doesn't matter how people are
using the water, we have to
look at what that how much
water they're using.
So if they choose to leave
their water running on their
faucet 20 473 65 or if they
choose to use it outdoor for
irrigation we can't tell and
it's not part of our thing And
the courts have said that we
can't differentiate between
them.
We can differentiate between
how much people use versus how
much it costs us to do that.
And so while your questions are
very valid about how people are
using their water, it's not
something under 218 that we can
consider We can consider how
much it costs to deliver a unit
of water to a customer at their
parcel.
I'm not asking you what to
consider for 218.
I'm asking for the relevant
information on the impacts of
what we are experiencing today
with this item.
I think that if I understand
public comment and what was
being asked, I think that's
what's being asked right And
that's where I think we missed
the mark when we talk about
communication because I'm very
concerned on the communication
side of this.
Councilmember if I MAY, would
it be helpful to you if we
provided a breakdown by
the council district office
like typical users and high
users Was that to the kind of
information I think that would
be helpful not only for this
council but for the public
because I would like to think
if we are truly following to 18
they have a decision to make.
There's a way that they need to
respond.
Right.
And then I'm going to ask
the city attorney this is
litigation We're going through
prior to 18.
So what happens if the public
responds and says no?
Where does that leave us since
we have to follow 218 we will
be happy to give you get get
that information well in
advance of before we come back
to you for consideration, what
happens if this is not
approved?
I think it was your other
question.
My question is we are following
8 to 18 process The way that
process works And I don't know
if the public truly understands
this The way to 18 works this
is where they truly have an
opportunity to take things away
from the council If they
respond and there's enough
protest that come in it's my
understanding they take it out
of our hands, right?
So this is one time where I
truly feel that the public is
truly the power is in their
hands.
What happens if they come back
in and we get the proper
threshold from the public?
This is no you can't even have
the public hearing that would
happen.
>> That would be what it is.
You can't even vote on it if
enough protests are received
And what happens in regards to
what got us here
the litigation, the change in
rates, what happens in the risk
is in regard yes or no.
>> That's what I'm trying to
find out.
That's why I say what how what
and how we communicate is very,
very important.
That's why I'm asking this
question What happens?
Councilmember Foster I don't
think that's a tested area of
the law where a court has
ordered you to change your
rates to unitary and then there
were enough protests from
the public to to stop that
change.
I think we could still run
the risk of being in contempt
of court for not complying but
we would offer that as a
defense of attempted to comply
But we were stopped But it's
untested.
We probably wouldn't know how
that would result but we still
have to go through this 218
process.
Correct?
And the courts indicated that
and understand that wasn't part
of this discussion.
>> Yes, we're currently under a
court order to comply with
imposing unitary rates.
We have stipulated to the date
of JANUARY.
>> That's not that's not my
question.
Are they understand to 18 in
the process And they again when
we talk about what's tested and
what's not tested, that's
probably up for debate to be
honest.
I'll take that as a no.
Okay.
Um I'm not going to vote
affirmative for this.
I think this is um unfortunate.
Um I think it speaks to when I
say every day our system is
flawed goes back to when I say
certain things happen.
It's intentional.
There's a reason why district
four is under resourced.
It's a system issue.
I mean, quite honestly, I'm
disgusted.
Um, Chris um, Kota, I do think
this comes down to um,
communication and how we
communicate to the public and I
think this is a good
opportunity to let the public
know they have more power than
we do is we release these 218
documents and I don't think
they truly, truly understand
and how significant that is
because this is this is
unacceptable And yet we have
someone from a what do you
what's the term we use an elite
And I don't know I don't even
know the term wealthy wealthy.
There you go.
Who who who is utilizing
the system to their advantage
And I think that's a very, very
unfortunate and I really don't
like the fact that we have to
sit here and say well that's
what the courts told us to do.
Um but okay I'll leave that
there.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you and
thank you for the work on this
but I'm really interested to
see what the communication plan
is.
I hope you put your 218 package
together Very well.
Move that protest form to
the front not the back buried
in the back.
It should be in a different
color, a different hot pink
whatever you want to do it in
So it is highly visible and
folks return those um because
this is this is just ridiculous
So thank you.
All right Thank you
Councilmember Foster will go
next to council member Campbell
thank you thank you for
the comments of my colleagues
First of all I'd just like to
say that one other thing we can
do is always remember that we
need to take into account who
in the heck are we voting for
for judges There are two judges
that ruled against common sense
.
>> They didn't care about
the volume of water used.
They only cared about the rate
being the same no matter what
volume used it.
It's crazy Big commercial users
of water use more volume and
you pay more than single family
homes or homes that house
people in an apartment.
It's just people need to get a
break were overcharges on just
about everything Anyway I think
that we need to find out who
are these two judges who voted
in the majority on this Of
the three judges in
the appellate court and take
them to task and only
the voters can do that And then
we also have recall as you
know, in this democracy what
were some what's left of it.
So that's what we need to do.
We need to do what you suggest,
Councilmember Foster We need to
talk to the public about using
common sense in judicial
matters And we need to make
sure that the judges we elect
have common sense and don't get
so tied up in the minutia of
every little dot and cross t in
a in a amendment to the state
constitution that they lose
sight of the real question
which they obviously did in
this case.
Obviously if you own a golf
course and you're sprinkling it
constantly to keep it green
you're using more volume than
the families use.
So there should be a difference
And the for some reason this
court did not see that And
the Supreme Court refused to
even take the case.
Isn't that correct?
They didn't even take up
the case.
>> We have to ask our Supreme
Court judges what is wrong with
you that you didn't take this
up?
Obviously on the face of it it
makes absolutely no sense.
Do you want people to to quit
using too much water so that we
can have enough when drought
occurs or what?
You know?
So anyway I think is just I
agree with all my colleagues
This is not and I would like to
vote today in order to bring it
to the public's attention So
they will vote OCTOBER 6th And
in the meantime we can find out
who exactly are those two
judges and we can find out
who's the third one and support
them because they were the only
one that made sense.
And we can also ask our Supreme
Court justices to reconsider.
I don't know if that's legal or
not.
Can we ask Supreme Court to
reconsider an appeal?
Not at this time.
>> So it looks like we're stuck
with the vote The recall and
the public vote on OCTOBER 6th.
>> Yes or no on the rates.
So I, I really appreciate
everything you said And we're
all in the same terrible boat.
But thank you so much.
We'll go over to council member
Eli Rivera.
Thank you Class PRESIDENT I
forgot to ask this earlier but
I'm almost glad I did it
because my colleagues had a
chance to ask the questions
that they've asked to make
the points that they made.
This makes non rate revenue
that much more important since
we can't use the rates
themselves to reward or even
account for the better behavior
of folks non rate revenue
becomes a tool that we can use
to keep that to keep costs down
but to help people help
mitigate the impacts of higher
rates for folks.
We had a conversation about
getting to work in a much more
assertive way last fall about
on the utilization of public
utilities assets.
Can you give us an update on
where that stands and
the progress being made So that
if these rates do go into
effect we'll be able to utilize
non rate revenue for folks?
>> Yes, and we do agree in
regards to working towards on
rate revenue to offset
the impact on our rate payers
as we committed last fall.
We have made progress on moving
forward in regards to 17 active
negotiations as it relates to
our leases and updating those
leases.
So we can get additional
revenue in that way.
We've had conversations in
regards to opportunities not
only with community power but
others so that way we can see
they're still developing their
information So we're working
towards that.
In addition we're reviewing all
of our assets as we've talked
about how close they are to
the electric grid
infrastructure.
Our existing power purchase
agreements specifically at
Alvarado and Otay water
treatment plants to see if we
can make those get better deals
on those and then all other
facilities as it relates to So
we are moving all of those
around to make progress in
regards to it because we do
agree with you in regards to
identifying opportunities and
increasing non rate revenue.
>> Okay.
I appreciate that and I think
that's an important that
information would be important
to come forward as we are faced
with additional decisions as
with water rates, the 17 leases
that are being worked on if I
recall and I'm going off memory
it was somewhere in the 80s I
believe that we're in holdover
status of about 110 leases that
he has yet we have about 60
that are in So we're working at
that through 17 of those And
that's just we are constrained
by resources.
We are also identifying if we
should ask for additional
resources next budget so that
way we can also do more work.
>> Yeah but those resources I
mean that's a cost recoverable
resource, right?
It's very much as an investment
,correct.
And my understanding is that
our partners at mta have been
willing to to see some of this
work contracted out so that we
can play catch up.
Yeah, we are identifying
whichever way whether or not
that's in-house or even outside
consultants if it's on a
temporary Yes, all of that.
>> Okay, great.
I appreciate that.
And then the work with
committee power and the power
purchase agreement I'm glad to
hear that that is happening as
well.
Every dollar saved on that end
is a dollar that we don't have
to pass along and cost.
So I'm hitting this from both
directions but the cost savings
perspective and revenue side of
things non rate revenue side of
things super important for
again we can't lower rates
necessarily in an equitable
way.
We could do it across the board
but we can also utilize those
sort of those revenues for for
programs to serve lower income
residents to serve seniors,
people who would be most
negatively impacted by
the changes being imposed upon
us by the courts.
>> Correct.
And we're looking at all all
avenues.
Yes.
All right.
Thank you for that.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Ella Rivera.
We'll go next to council member
Whitburn.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
This is frustrating.
We've been fighting for lower
rates because so many people
are struggling and now we have
a court ruling that interferes
with those efforts In addition
to the court ordered rate
impacts.
There is also the $40 million
in refunds that have been
ordered.
But I do want to make it clear
that that will not come out of
the general fund That will be
entirely within the water
utility fund, correct?
>> It is only from the water
utility fund.
So that will not impact
homelessness funding.
It will not impact public
safety funding.
It will not impact street
paving.
It will all have to be dealt
with within the finances of
the public utilities department
And in the short term you're
saying it will result in
deferred capital improvement
projects?
>> Yeah, we are currently
looking at we have identified a
potentially about $30 million
that we'll have to offset but
we are trying to identify
whether or not we really truly
have to defer that or if
there's any other places for
savings because we're trying to
do our due diligence in regards
to that.
We won't have that information
completely finalized until a
little bit later in the summer.
>> Okay.
I appreciate that.
My hope would be that it
doesn't hit rates so and I
appreciate your attentiveness
to that.
We will not be asking for it to
be increasing this revenue
requirement right now.
So what's going through on 2027
is exactly what was previously
adopted by Council.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
>> Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Whitburn.
A lot of good questions, a lot
of trying to really work
through this I think by some of
the comments of my client, my
clients I my clients,
the consultant that comes back
on I would urge you to think
very carefully when you look at
the cip and which projects you
opt to defer.
I know you were deferring some
already to keep the rates that
we previously approved but
think about it district by
district would be my suggestion
going forward the engineer
wants to come out me and do a
whole different explanation but
I don't think anybody wants to
hear it from me so I'm not
going to go there But I think
you heard there's unanimity
across the council that no
one's happy with this but court
order is a court order.
So with that we have a motion
by myself to move the staff
recommendation a second by
council member Eli Rivera
Please call the roll.
I started the voting system.
Please cast your vote That
passes 7 to 1 with
Councilmember Foster voting no
and Councilmember Kemp you
absent.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk All right.
With that the City Clerk Please
introduce items as final five
and item 330 that will be heard
together.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Item s5o5 is
declaring the results of
the JUNE 2nd, 2026 municipal
primary election held in
the city of San Diego This item
is not subject to the mayor's
veto.
An item 330 is calling a
general election in the city of
San Diego to be held on
Tuesday, NOVEMBER 3rd, 2026 and
consolidating the election with
the statewide general election.
This item is not subject to
the mayor's veto.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right
with that I see you have one of
your city clerk staff so please
introduce yourself for
the record and let us know how
much time you need for
the combined presentation.
I'll be requesting four minutes
today.
Okay.
Good afternoon.
Honorable Council PRESIDENT And
City Council members.
My name is Christine Hernandez
and I am the Deputy Director of
Elections and City Connections
with the Office of the City
Clerk.
I am here to report a summary
of the results of the primary
election held on Tuesday JUNE
2nd, 2026 as outlined in Item
330 and give you a brief
presentation on item s5o5
calling the general municipal
election in the City of San
Diego to be held on Tuesday
NOVEMBER 3rd, 2026 and
consolidating the election with
the statewide general election
.
The top two vote getters in
each of the four races are as
follows For the Office of
Council District two Richard
Bailey and Nicole Crosby for
the Office of Council District
four Henry Foster the third
incumbent and Martha Abraham
for the Office of Council
District six Ken Lee incumbent
and Mark Powell for the Office
of Council District eight
Antonio Martinez and head out
of out Ramirez.
The percentage of the vote an
outcome for ballot measure a
city of San Diego non primary
homes tax on the JUNE 2nd 2020
sixth primary election is as
follows There were 155,050
votes in favor or 46.85% and
there were 175,898 votes
against or 53.15%.
This measure required a
majority vote for approval
Measure a did not receive
the affirmative vote of a
majority of the qualified
voters voting on the measure
and is hereby declared to have
been failed Item as five of
five calls the general
municipal election and
consolidates the election with
the statewide general election
to be held on Tuesday NOVEMBER
3rd, 2026.
The ordinance and resolution
before the Council are required
to call this election and
authorize the City Comptroller
to reimburse the County of San
Diego for the actual and direct
cost of the services performed
by the Registrar of Voters in
connection with the election
services.
This the cost will be borne by
the city's general fund
the approved fiscal year 2027
budgeted amount for this
election in the citywide
program expenditures is $2.331
million.
The actual costs will vary
depending on how many
jurisdictions participate.
The term voters assigns
election costs in a
consolidated election using a
weighted average method.
This attributes cost to each
jurisdiction based on
the number of contests,
the number of registered voters
and the number of sample ballot
pages.
The city of San Diego has
840,544 registered voters as of
the JULY 1st 2026 report
provided by the Registrar of
Voters This concludes my
presentation and the City Clerk
and I are happy to answer any
of your questions.
All right.
Thank you Christine for that
report.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment on both items.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Anthony
Ralphs If you can please come
forward you will have two
minutes to speak on both items
505 and item 330.
After that we have Blair
Beekman and allegedly Audra.
Good afternoon Council.
>> There's different ways of
saying thank you.
I don't want mine to be empty
words So I bring these flowers
and one of them is for
the Carver and the other is for
you, MS..
Fuentes, for all of your work
ensuring that we will be able
to continue group presentations
online I know that's not part
of the agenda item so I will
get on topic.
I would love to see I wonder if
there's a possibility I know
that we have an ordinance
making sure that NOVEMBER 3rd
nationally is the same day that
we vote with the other places
in the country.
But I'm curious to see what
would happen, what kind of a
voter turnout we would get if
we could do it on a Saturday.
I know nationally it's we have
all those studies that have
shown that we'd get much bigger
voter turnout if we could have
it on a day that a majority of
the people in this country
don't have to work.
But I don't know if that's
actually feasible.
Thank you for the clarifying
comments on the positions
earlier that were spoken to.
I also got these flowers for
you Henry Foster Good luck with
your race.
I actually just put out one of
your signs which I got from one
of your constituents Michelle I
put out one of your yard signs
in front of my parents house in
Coronado which I know obviously
that's not in your area in your
district but I know that
there's a lot of workers from
your district that work in
Coronado and we're trying to
get visibility out there So let
me know if you need help
walking and canvasing.
I'm happy to do that and I
appreciate you routinely being
someone on this council that
stands up to police brutality,
stands up for police
accountability, stands up for
civilian oversight for not only
and you've discussed use in
your own words Accountability
is a bare minimum.
Accountability is just a start
And I completely agree.
So I want to thank you
wholehearted Lee for all
the work that you're doing and
I want to support you in your
upcoming election And thanks
everybody.
Thank you.
Item s5 five and 330 for Blair
Beckman.
>> You'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
Oh, hi.
By Beekman.
Um, thank you.
Thank you for this item.
It's very nice to speak to uh,
the ideas of procedures and
what we've been through in
the past six months three
months and what we'll be going
forward to ensure the next hall
and for the remainder of this
year.
>> Um, thank you for these
efforts And then our election
process is continuing.
We have two persons on our
council who I think are very
well liked.
They have good ideas and good
ways to work and they are going
for election.
They're up for election at this
time and they have some tough
campaigns to look how they can
uh how how they're there.
Election process will continue.
Um I in the spirit of that in
the spirit of learning
the election process you
probably know my feelings that
I'm learning you know my own
process of how a community can
work better And I've been
really wanting a certain item
and items to be thought about
and moving forward And I mean
it's been my personal feeling
we to move forward with
the block things this fall but
I realize that we MAY have to
wait And in the spirit of
the election process I've been
trying to develop ideas for her
.
The process can be a process
process as part of a dialog of
just better understanding where
people are coming from and why
they want to leave.
We don't have to have final
answers this fall but just if
we're talking about the subject
matter as part of the election
process, as our procedures of
community best practices that i
figured out, that's the way we
should be working and I think
it'll accomplish a lot for all
of us to the community.
Everyone can get a better sense
of what our surveillance and
tech is.
Lapd is leaving Flock They just
announced that today.
So it's an important matter.
>> We can't just push under
the rug.
Let's hope we can keep it an
open subject this fall And good
luck.
>> Thank you for that
concluding remark allegedly
Andrea Also on both items just
really quick for a point of
information as far as a charter
city, can you guys do you not
have the autonomy to govern
locally without a kind of
negating the constitution?
I understand that to 18 is part
of the Constitution but
anything that is in law or
anything like that that is
against people's rights would
be unconstitutional.
So I'm just wondering do you
not have the ability to stand
outside that if you would In a
point of order?
I would like point of order.
That's what I meant.
Well, whatever.
Okay.
Point of order.
The attorney says we're on
solid ground with Prop 218 and
how we implement.
I know, but what I'm saying is
if you're a charter, can you
not?
>> I don't know And I can take
it up with the city attorney's
office.
Okay.
I just think that you guys need
to think more about that
because you should have
the autonomy to go outside of
that.
All of you guys are upset So I
mean if you are a charter then
you should be able to go
outside of that.
So I didn't because I didn't
say point of order for real.
Oh my gosh.
Well what it's like you're
learning You know what I'm
saying?
Like I mean whatever That's
what's so ridiculous is like
you guys want to Okay, well
they always calling a point of
order then because that's.
Yeah.
Anyway, this is interesting
because it's like I mean you
guys sit here and you know,
want to talk about voting and
it's like I mean Prop 218
totally negates people's
ability to make sure that they
don't have water rate increases
and like this ensures that they
will always go through because
if you guys think that you're
going to be held in contempt if
people protest like doesn't
that negate the fact that if
people protest that's their
voice and that's what should be
heard.
It's just that because it's
like you're basically saying
that even if the people do
you're going to pass it anyway.
>> So I mean how is it that's
not what we said.
You're not talking to the two
agenda items which are Yeah I'm
talking about voting them.
Yeah, it's about elections.
So I'm just saying like with
elections I mean if we're
talking about something in
voting in this prior item and
then you want us to trust
the process here, how can we do
that when it's not really
the people's voice?
It's like it's 144,000 people
come in here and you say that's
people's voice being heard.
It is it It's actually people's
voice being silenced And that's
time has concluded.
I'm sorry that I'm out of time
or going to those participating
remotely starting with 8700.
If you can please unmute will
you be speaking to one or both
of the items?
Both Please proceed.
You'll have two minutes.
Thank you.
Office of the City Clerk for
all you do on these ballot
measures and voting and all of
that.
It's so important to democracy
to our city.
Thank you so much for that You
thank you to anyone who is
willing to serve to run for
office.
We really appreciate you
putting your chin out there.
Number three $2 million plus
4th NOVEMBER election.
Boy, that's inflation, isn't
it?
I know that like a million or
so.
Anyway, I know you understand
all of that but that's a high
figure, isn't it?
Number four.
Be careful of what you load on
up to 18 because the ripples on
and on and on and on.
We are no we are not a closed
system.
We are not a pound in
the ripples from 1818.
And Google says it's about 40
million It's up to 120 million
That's a settlement is against
the city and please let us know
how it's going to hit our rates
for water.
Who love you all so much.
>> Have a great summer recess.
Thank you.
Next is Natalie Rush if you can
them you Hi Natalie Rafiki
after them The council talked
about this to 18 It was made
more clear to me what we're
dealing with what it's I'm
almost speechless It anything
that we're voting on anymore
does it matter?
And the people that are holding
positions right now we need
the ability to have leadership
to say no more.
That's like an inversion.
I'm going to be paying the same
amount as a golf course But I
live in the apartment complex
and we're kind of rated
the same way.
I know this is not that simple
but everything just seems
inverted and I hope people who
are listening are really
intentionally start to pay
attention and show up because
like they were saying, it's
going to come down to
the people and what are we
willing to sacrifice a little
so that we're not left with
nothing?
It's crazy to me.
I have four children in this
world that we're living in.
It's not the same anymore.
It's not going to go back to
being the same and systems are
going to fall.
But how do we want to move
forward?
We really need to start
researching everything that
comes at us and be intentional
with how we move intentional
for the people, intentional in
the choices we make and what
we're leaving for our children
and what we stand for.
Because when we do nothing and
be compliant then we're just
guilty ourselves And I don't
want to live in that type of
world.
Thank you.
That doesn't the public comment
on this item items.
>> All right.
I'm going to break my own rule
and I guess I'll also kick this
off.
You're not gonna be paying
the same amount as the golf
course.
A golf course uses probably
15,100 cubic feet a month.
Somebody live in a condominium
Probably does five 15,000
versus five.
You're not going be paying
the same amount using the same
rate.
It's just like you go to
the gas station no matter how
good your mileage is, we all
pay the same rate for gas.
I want to make sure everybody
understands that.
So with that I don't see
anybody else on the line.
Thank you for the work.
This is a requirement and you
in the city clerk's office does
such a very good job and it's
very much appreciated.
One question just wanted to
double check that the estimated
cost of the ballot to the city
of San Diego was accounted for
in the f y 27 budget.
Yes it was.
>> Okay, great.
Thank you.
I just wanted to verify that.
With that I will move item s
but that's 5 or 5.
Council Councilmember Eli
Rivera I will second your
motion.
>> All right.
So a motion by myself and
second by Councilmember Eli
Rivera to move the staff
recommendation at 5o5 Please
vote or call the roll.
Please cast your vote That does
passed unanimously 8 to 0 with
Councilmember Campo Absent.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
All right.
On an item 330 calling
the general municipal election
,I will again make the motion
for that Councilmember Eli
Rivera.
So somebody else wants to jump
in.
>> So a motion by myself in
the second by council be
regarding the staff
recommendation I have 330.
Please call the roll and start
the voting system.
Please cast your vote No that
passes unanimously 8 to 0 with
Councilmember Campo absent.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
>> Thank you, City Clerk And
with that what a way to end
the first half of
the legislative year.
So we will now adjourn Council
to the next regularly scheduled
council meeting on Monday
AUGUST 24th, 2026 at 10 A.M.
Have a good recess.
>> No to the flowers so we'll
find a suitable home for them.
I thank you very much for