the mayor has been away for
just a little
.
>> All right.
Good morning.
We're going to get started.
Always great way to kick off a
Tuesday with our proclamations
and a very happy crowd.
So with that I will call
the city council meeting of
Tuesday AUGUST 25th 2026 to
order Clerk Please call
the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell Councilmember
Whitburn Member Foster Council
Everyone over from Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
Councilmember Campo
Councilmember Moreno
Councilmember Ella Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT Look over
here also thank the media our
city attorney Heather Herbert,
independent media analyst
Charles Maka council PRESIDENT
And the mayor's office
co-designer and myself for city
clerk Diana Fuentes.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Trump if you know All right
with that a quorum is now
present.
We will begin this morning with
the land acknowledgment and
the Pledge of Allegiance led by
we have the paperwork Council
member Campbell please stand if
you're able.
>> We respectfully acknowledge
that the committee nation or
the original inhabitants of
the Unceded land now known as
San Diego Despite enduring
the horrors of genocide and
colonization, the Kumi spirit
remains unbroken.
We honor the resilience of
their ancestors who fought to
protect their culture and land.
Today they carry their legacy
forward ensuring that their
traditions continue to thrive
and gratitude and strength We
stand with the culmination
connected to our past and
committed to a thriving future
.
Please raise the flag.
Put your right hand over your
heart and let's begin.
Allegiance to the flag of
the United States of America
and to the Republic for which
it stands One nation under GOD,
indivisible with liberty and
justice for all.
So please go over how
the public can offer their
testimony.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I would like
to highlight the slide on
the screen that reveals 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 The order
can be found on the agenda
summary and found online at
the table in the back of
the room.
If you are in person please
complete the speaker slip
located at the entrance of
chambers and bring it to
the front of the room in
the clear box For those that
have submitted and organize
presentation for an item on
today's agenda please be sure
to have all of your identified
participants present when
the item is introduced and if
you have a virtual organized
presentation please ensure you
all have your identified
participants raise their hand
when prompted.
Council ambassadors are
available near the entrance of
chambers and can assist with
questions and speakers ups No
further in-person testimony
will be taken once the Council
begins Virtual testimony.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
And as a friendly reminder at
the end of this morning session
we will be taking our agenda
public comment where you can
speak on items within
the city's purview But when you
speak on docket items, a
friendly reminder to speak to
the docket item.
We will now dispense with
the approval of
the proclamation items and for
the record on item 30 we will
be including Councilmember
Foster as one of the presenters
for the Item 30 proclamation
With that clerk please proceed
with public comment.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
The proclamation for the call
and prayer for the proclamation
items 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 will
have a maximum of three
minutes.
Those participating virtually
that are part of an organized
presentation we actually have
one organized presentation in
proximity and it is in person
but the proclamation items
being approved are items 3031
and 32.
We will begin the public
comment period with organized
presentations that were
submitted via the city's
organized presentation web
form.
Organized presentation requires
all the participants to be
present and raise their hand if
all participants are not
present, do not raise their
hand the allotted time MAY be
reduced accordingly.
Once organized presentations
have concluded, no further
organized presentations will be
taken and one organized
presentation has been submitted
for item 30 and is led by
Michelle Ceccarelli or my co
Sugar.
Yes please approach electing a
total of five individuals were
listed as part of this
organized presentation.
Will the following individuals
who have registered as a part
of this presentation raise
their hand when your name is
called and Smith Michael's okay
Sam Serrano and Corrine Wilson
thank you so much.
You will have five minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you and good morning.
My name is Michelle Ceccarelli
and I've been the meaa
PRESIDENT Since 2022.
It's my honor.
I have been a city of San Diego
employee for the Parks and
Recreation Department for 37
years.
I am currently an area manager
in the North Park Recreation
Center.
I want to thank the mayor and
the city Council for their
recognition this morning.
Today we have with this meaa
executive board members
gathered behind me.
We want to express our
appreciation for the work you
do every day to support city
employees and help give us
the tools we need to deliver
services to the citizens of San
Diego.
We take great pride in our work
and we're grateful for your
support.
I also want to recognize our
fantastic general manager
Michael Zukin who is obviously
very familiar to all of you.
And finally to turn it over to
mta is amazing Longtime
attorney and Smith.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Your proclamation today
perfectly captures the essence
of America's long and
distinguished role as city
employee advocate and recognize
employee organization.
So with Jennifer with Michelle
,I happily thank you on behalf
of the mta membership its
elected city employee
leadership and professional
staff.
I've been Mayor's Labor Council
for 41 years having begun in
AUGUST of 1985.
Maybe before some of you were
born.
And in that capacity I've
watched the mta was elected
leadership fully, faithfully
and without ever flinching
fulfill the promise and
commitment of mta to work
tirelessly to improve working
conditions for city employees
and improve their wages and
benefits.
Your proclamation pays fitting
tribute to nea's specific role
in advocating for city employee
pensions.
And even before the landmark
Bee case, mta was in the lead
in court fighting to defeat
city initiated litigation
designed to reduce or roll back
city employee pensions that had
been earned and were vested
under California law.
And thanks to those successes,
thousands of city employees
over the past two decades have
retired with the benefits that
they were promised and had
earned.
It really would be hard to
overstate mta ai's impact and
leadership in fighting the Prop
b case in order to achieve
ultimately the invalidation and
and striking of that
proposition from the city
charter.
But what is less known and
speaks volumes about mta is
that the city employee leaders
who made the decision to fight
and fund that long legal battle
were not themselves adversely
affected by Prop b They were
already employed and they had a
defined benefit pension.
So their decision was for
the sake of those who would
come after them.
And by the time we had success
ten years later more than half
of set of mta as represented
workforce had been denied a
defined benefit pension and
then had it restored to them
made all the more important
because city employees do not
have the safety net of Social
Security.
And not just mta represented
employees but firefighters and
lifeguards.
Deputy city attorneys asked me
represented employees and even
the unrepresented in
the citizens residents of San
Diego though they don't often
appreciate it.
They too were the winners as
your proclamation recognizes
because the invalidation of
property restored the city's
capacity to recruit and retain
qualified employees.
So let the next hundred years
begin as mta continues its
distinguished legacy as a
champion of city employees.
So thank you.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
We'll now move on to in-person
public comment individual
in-person public comment If
Joyce initiative can please
come forward.
You're speaking on items 30 and
31 Joyce Sonata if you can
please come forward to
the lectern.
>> You'll be speaking on item
30 and 31.
You'll have two minutes after
that It will be allegedly
addressed.
>> Good morning, everyone.
This is a wonderful day.
Okay.
On 30.
My favorite whereas is this
where as without city employees
there are no city services And
when workers experience
fairness in the workplace they
can extend and uphold it in
their daily tasks.
On behalf of the residents I
love that so much.
So this morning I had the great
honor of meeting Michelle and
and Sian and I had never met
them before.
So all of you at meaa, I'm
going to highlight to people
now that I know from my work
but I want you to know that
everything I say about these
two people is the same for you.
So I'd like to highlight two
meaa leaders two very, very
fine human beings and
professionals par excellence
Our Michael Zoo Cat MR. Zoo
Cat.
He's the gentle manager of
the meaa And Kathleen Higgins.
I'm here and I hope you are.
I'd love to see you.
And she's the labor relations
officer at meaa.
So thank you both for your
enormous contribution to all
the people of San Diego.
And of course also thank you to
all other meaa workers And
you're just absolutely great.
We need you more than ever.
Love to all.
Now on 31 I'm celebrating
AUGUST 20th, 26th as
Transgender Month.
Here's what I like from Google
.
Transgender people, non-binary
individuals and third gender
roles have been documented in
culture and societies worldwide
for thousands of years.
That's thousands of years end
of quote.
Native Americans call them to
Spirit.
Thank you for that concluding
statement Dignity to gently
order Love to you.
>> You're speaking on 3031 and
32 so you'll have three
minutes.
Please proceed.
>> >> Yeah, I think it's good
to have these employee
associations because I think
there needs to be
accountability within
the workplace.
But I kind of wonder when
you're talking about fairness
in the workplace and
prohibiting bias based on race
when the way things are being
pushed with equity it's like
we're actually being racist by
saying only you know like
basically don't hire white
people.
And it's just weird to me And
then I think about covid and
how many employees didn't want
to get a vaccination And I'm
wondering if they were fighting
for those employees or was it
only ones that were in line?
You know, the way that they
were thinking because a lot of
people lost their jobs during
that time And so it's just a
little bit sad that it's
probably not always, you know,
fairness that they are creating
in that because that's creating
bias And then this is
unfortunate Transgender History
Month.
So I think adults should be
able to do whatever they want.
But when we encroach into
the lives of children and we
encourage them to cut off their
body parts and put hormones
into their bodies when they are
extremely young like even four
years old that is so
detrimental to them and their
ability to grow up and be able
to function properly.
And it's sad because it also,
you know, sets them up for
lifelong pain and different
things.
If you talk to a lot of these
children who have gone through
transitions and they're
extremely upset that they did
there's women who cut off their
and then get pregnant and they
can't even breastfeed And it's
extremely painful because they
get milk inside their And it's
like all of these things they
say are reversible and they're
not And I think it's dangerous
to do that to children because
we're also sexualizing them And
that leads to, you know,
pedophiles running rampant like
they do in this legal
administrative assistant.
It's interesting how we pay for
like the city attorney And you
know, any time that people want
to go after what the government
does, it's like we got to go in
our own pocket Yet you guys go
in our pockets when we have to
fight you too.
And if we win that money just
comes from us anyway.
So it's interesting that we pay
for these things and we can't
use them.
It's not like we can go in
there and be like Hey can we
get some help?
It's like no, this is only to
protect this entity.
And then when you bring forward
things that are like illegal
they don't really do their job
and tell you that they are.
They just kind of try and
obfuscate and make excuses as
to why it's okay that you guys
do the things that you do.
So it's just interesting
the way things work.
I like to, you know, bring
light to those things because
you guys want to brush it under
the rug and make it so that
these things are like
everything's hunky dory when it
really isn't So.
>> Good job though.
Everybody's going to clap and
you guys are going to take your
pictures.
Same as usual.
>> Start of the five minute
timer going to those
participating remotely.
Blair Wickman if you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to.
>> Hi.
Blair Beekman I wanted to speak
to you.
I'm waiting for my Google to
arrive.
Item 30 You'll have one minute.
>> Please proceed.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Very nice public comment on
item 30 At the beginning an
employee association 100th
anniversary day.
They're trying to do important
good work and retirement plans
.
I think with the same respect
we're trying to get retirement
plans in San Diego we should
also be having towards health
benefit plans that is being
really questioned in San Diego
at this time.
Oakland is going through
the same thing because they
have the same large budget
deficit issues forcing health
care benefits up on
the employees themselves is
like it's not very good
business.
I don't think it's not our
ideals And I think we have to
consider that.
I've continuously mentioned how
city employees can take a very
small cut and pay 25 bucks a
month.
That's like 300 bucks a year
and that can help pay for our
benefit plans And I think those
are the sort of morale issues
we have to be considering and
working on together in defining
our future budgets in San
Diego.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Lori Saldana If you can please
unmute please let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to.
Yes.
Good morning.
Thank you.
Item 30 and 31 please.
Please proceed.
I as a former city employee I
was actually I worked for
the city when I was still a
high school student and I eight
and that was 50 years ago.
I have always appreciated
the support that they have
provided for the workforce and
dealing with sometimes
troubling incidents And
the world is a very different
place for those 50 years ago to
be city employees.
So congratulations on 100 years
of advocacy for people who are
working And I know from
experience not only as an
employee but as someone who
calls city services that your
employees are doing the very
best they can under sometimes
daunting circumstances.
So thank you for your advocacy
for your work to keep our city
operating and functioning as
best it can despite some of our
financial and other setbacks.
The next item 31 and I and I
have to link a connection
between these two items because
what we see in the transgender
community is increasingly
vilification and we see that
against public employees from
time to time And historically
we have seen frankly
governments seeking to divide
the populace, go after union
workers, go after transgender
people.
So I think it's more important
than ever to show support in
proclamations like this but
also in our experience every
day of acknowledging the basic
dignity and equality of people
whatever people take in
the workplace and how they
choose to live their lives and
express themselves.
>> So I see some kind of sad
linkage between these two
proclamations today but I join
in acknowledging the municipal
employees and also uplifting
transgender people.
Thank you for that concluding
remark.
Kathleen Lippert if you can
please unmute.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Council.
>> Which items will you be
speaking on to the employee?
I'm sorry, can you hear me?
Which items will you be
speaking on?
Oh, I'm sorry.
30.
Thank you.
You'll have a minute.
Please proceed.
>> Okay.
There is a little doubt that
city employees do an excellent
job in providing essential
services for the city and
the mta does an excellent job
serving their interests.
However, attention must be paid
when an ever widening gap
between city employee benefits
and the private sector become
unsustainable.
When mta union influence
becomes outsized after
relentlessly pushing for ever
expanding rights and
protections for city employees
,the Office of Budget should
monitor that balance.
Thank you for letting me speak.
>> Thank you Hector.
If you can please unmute and
let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to.
>> The transgender item.
I will just listen.
There's some young girl saying
that she says there's three
genders.
There's the male gender,
there's the female gender and
there's the mentally ill
gender.
>> I think the it's an
abomination to change kids
gender.
Whoa.
On to Children's Hospital and
the doctors and the nurses that
participate in that because
they're going to meet the Lord
one day and they're going to go
good.
The young kids and change it's
abomination to do it.
If you're 18 go ahead man.
You can do whatever you want
But young kids who's ever
touching that stuff is going to
pay the price.
And we've got the blind leading
the blind up there anyway on
the stage And like we're in a
$5 billion debt right with
the employees $5 billion in
the hole maybe 10 billion by
next year Who knows?
But anyway, have a good day.
>> That concludes public
comment on the proclamation.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk.
And with that I will kick off
the convert and the Council
Council conversation on
the proclamations and start out
with item 30 a 100th
anniversary day.
A special welcome to mta board
PRESIDENT Michelle Ceccarelli
general manager Michael we get
attorney and Smith and all
the executive committee members
and the other members that
might be in the audience or in
the chambers today.
City employees are vital to
providing the services that San
Diegans want and deserve.
And simply put there are no
city services without our city
employees.
Mta is an important partner
ensuring that the city can
recruit and retain quality
employees.
So the city in turn runs
efficiently and responds to San
Diego's mta has been at
the forefront of key city
issues for 100 years providing
wise counsel rising from
the deep understanding of its
members.
So simply put thank you mta and
all the officers for your
service my honor and bringing
today forward today is
proclamation for versus both my
professional experience and
takes root in my personal life
.
My father was the head of a
small local union operating
engineers.
My wife was an fda member for
her tenure at Boardwalk
Elementary.
And my daughter wasn't in
the Graduate Students Union uaw
5810.
I understand the voice.
I understand the need and I
understand the opportunity
the mta provides for its
members.
And it is interesting that
somebody would castigate an
employer for actually trying to
do right by its employees.
I think that's what the city is
doing and we hope
the corporations of the world
would listen in and actually
take care of their employees.
How outrageous would it be to
go to Costco and say hey, you
should knock off your benefits
and your salary because
Wal-Mart doesn't do the same?
It is the obligation of
the employer to rise up and
meet the needs.
And we live in an expensive
city.
We want our employees to be
able to live, enjoy and thrive
in the city that we all that
most of us call home.
So with that again,
congratulations on your
centennial.
In MAY our San Diego Municipal
Employees Association continue
its successful advocacy for
the next 100 years.
Thank you to my colleagues for
bringing the transgender
Proclamation.
I'll let you speak more
eloquently on that.
But item 32 the legal
administrate of Assistant City
McNary Day.
Congratulations city on your
retirement.
And thank you for your
dedication to serving
the people of San Diego and
the Office of the City
Attorney.
Cindy Cindy has been an asset
between the council and
the city Attorney's office.
Your keen eye for detail jovial
disposition and prompt
responsive.
This has been crucial to her
work with our office.
I know that the Council
PRESIDENT's team will
especially MISS Working with
you and wish you the best in
your retirement.
Enjoy your retirement and thank
you for your service Cindy.
And with that I will move
the proclamations.
And again repeating for
the record that item 30 the mta
proclamation is also being
presented by Council member
Foster.
And with that I will now go to
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
I will go ahead and speak to
item 30 as well.
I am honored to join Mayor
Gloria.
Council PRESIDENT Acaba
customarily Rivera and
Councilmember Foster in
recognizing the 100th
anniversary of the San Diego
Municipal Employees
Association.
For a century now mta has given
city employees a voice when
they've been fighting for fair
wages, benefits, working
conditions and ultimately to
build a stable career when it
comes to public service.
As you had just helped to share
with everyone here, that
includes fighting for
the important victories that
mta has led to ensure that
the benefits earned by that
decades of service to our
communities is actually kept.
And this past year I think has
been another meaningful
reminder as why that
representation matters.
During one of the most
difficult city budgets we've
faced, we spent a lot of time
talking about positions
vacancies, reductions, dollars
That all popped up on a
spreadsheet.
And the proposed budget often
included reductions that we
felt impacted all of our
residents.
For example, cutting back on
operating hours at libraries
and rec centers amongst other
city services.
But behind every one of those
numbers I think we recognize
there's an actual person and
behind that person is service
that San Diegans actually rely
on.
And that can be the librarian
that helps to discover helps a
child to discover a book that
they want to read.
It's that rec center staff
member that's keeping a
facility open in the evenings
welcoming families for
recreation.
I think if planners who helped
to shape the future of our
communities and then engineers
for example that help to
deliver and design every road,
every park, every facility that
we see upgraded and at the end
of the day there are thousands
of employees that you help to
represent that ensure that
the actual service that our
city residents rely on every
single day a lot of that work
happens very quietly.
And I think residents despite
not maybe knowing the names of
those employees who to help to
deliver the services they rely
on certainly would feel it if
those services didn't exist.
And so that's why I think you
see a council that has
continued to not only fight for
the services that our residents
rely on but also the very staff
and the people who power those
services and to do so is just
like what Council PRESIDENT
LaCava mentioned.
We have to value the actual
people who serve the city and
in turn ensure that in this
challenging environment with
the cost of living is what it
is, they actually have an
opportunity to live and enjoy
the city that they help to
deliver.
So today is really more than
just celebrating your 100 years
as an organization.
It's recognizing that that
comes with generations of
public service and ultimately
allows us to to carry that on
for the next hundred years.
So congratulations to everyone
here today from mta, all
the members past and present
and we certainly look forward
to working together for
the next century ahead.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
I think there was a second in
there.
I will go in a second.
>> The proclamation.
All right.
We have a motion by myself and
a second by council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee to move
the proclamation.
>> We'll go next to council
member Campbell.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
First of all I want to
congratulate mta.
I want to remind the public
that only four council members
are allowed to join on a block
otherwise I'm sure every one of
us would be on your proc.
But we all do get to sign it as
well as the mayor.
So know that we love you and we
appreciate you.
On item 31 I want to thank
Maritime Gloria and my
colleagues.
Council members would be open
for joining me and bringing
forward this proclamation
declaring AUGUST 2026 as
Transgender History Month in
the city of San Diego.
AUGUST holds a special
significance in transgender
history and this year
especially as it marks the 60th
anniversary of the 1966 Compton
cafeteria riots in San
Francisco.
This was one of the earliest
acts of collective resistance
by transgender people against
harassment and discrimination
in the United States.
Here in San Diego we believe in
dignity, equality and
authenticity for everyone.
Today and every day I want to
celebrate our transgender
community and honor those who
continue to fight for inclusion
and justice Despite the attacks
and discrimination we see
across the country.
And we hear even in our own
place right here.
This year we are recognizing
the University of San Diego
School of Law's Transgender
name and gender marker change
clinic which helps transgender
individuals navigate the legal
process of updating their names
and gender markers on official
documents.
This work is so important
because having id that reflects
who you are can make an
enormous difference in a
person's ability to live safely
and authentic authentically.
As a family physician I've seen
firsthand how people can thrive
when they are supported as
living their true authentic
selves.
Transgender people are like
everyone else and need the same
things we all do respect,
support, dignity and access to
affirming care.
I'll end with this.
To our trans community I see
you.
I respect you and I love you.
Our city honors you and
celebrates everything you
contribute to San Diego.
We are in this fight together
So let us stand together as one
big lgbtq family and one big
San Diego family.
Never stop fighting for
the right to be who you are and
to live with dignity, freedom
and pride.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
Thank you, Council Campbell.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Whitman.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I too proud
to join my colleagues in
proclaiming AUGUST as
Transgender History Month in
the city of San Diego.
Transgender people have been an
instrumental part of the city
of San Diego for many, many
years throughout our history.
Through their leadership, their
creativity, their advocacy,
their service.
Transgender San Diego have
strengthened our communities.
They have advanced equality and
helped to make our city a more
welcoming place for everybody.
This both gives us an
opportunity to one of
the trailblazers whose courage
laid the foundation for that
progress.
We'll also celebrating those
who continue to make history
today or thank all those in
attendance today to support
this item today your continued
work to uplift others, build
community and advocate for
dignity and equal opportunity
inspires us all.
Transgender history but also
reminds us that progress is not
inevitable.
I have been horrified to see
the attacks on the transgender
community physical attacks,
verbal attacks, legal attacks.
There have been deaths.
There have been legal setbacks
.
But there has also been courage
and determination to fight for
justice and equality.
We must continue standing with
the transgender community and
ensuring that every San Diego
can live openly and safely and
authentically.
And I am utter to recognize
the lasting contribution to
the transgender community and
to reaffirm the City of San
Diego commitment to inclusion
and equality and respect for
all.
Today I'm also proud to join
Gloria and my council
colleagues to recognize the San
Diego Police Association as it
celebrates 100 years of
service.
For a century nba has stood up
for city employees who work
every day to serve San Diego to
keep our city running.
I'm glad Smith mentioned
the fight to overturn
Proposition b.
Here you had a situation where
city employees public servants
who do not receive Social
Security lost their pensions as
well.
Your successful work to reverse
that not only helps city
employees here but has sent a
message statewide that city
employees are to be respected.
And as recently as earlier this
year, nba had a profound impact
on another matter.
There was a threatened ballot
measure that would have cost
the city of San Diego hundreds
of millions of dollars of
revenue.
It would have been crippling.
Thank goodness.
Nba general Manager Mike Scott
and Council PRESIDENT McCarver
were instrumental in
the decision in the settlement
and the threat of a crippling
ballot measure was dropped to
the benefit not only of our
city workers but to all
citizens.
100 years is a remarkable
milestone and our congratulate
its leadership and all of its
members past and present.
And finally on item 32, I am
also pleased to join our city
attorney and my cultural
colleagues in congratulating
City McNary on retirement.
Thank you Sidney, for your many
years of service to our city
and bet you enjoy your
well-deserved retirement.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
thank you council member
Whitman And we'll go next to
Councilmember Foster.
Yes, Thank you Council
PRESIDENT And it's an honor and
pleasure to join my colleagues
in recognizing nba on 100
years.
Congratulations.
You know, Mike, it's a good you
know, it's hard to I can't you
know, when I think of nba, I
think of Mike Kaye.
It's hard to separate you but
you look good for 100 years, my
friend, but just can't say
enough about nba.
As you hear some of the public
comment, I'm a little taken
aback because I was here in
some other years when nba was
not in a good place.
Our employees really would I
would say took a drastic hit
over what I want to say a
decade of hiring freezes,
salary freezes, mandatory
furlough.
You're talking about living
through a very, very concerning
time.
But I think we've turned
the corner and I think that
speaks to the leadership and
the dedication of our
employees.
We made some progress.
We were able to make some
important increases to get our
employees closer to where they
need to be.
i think there's still more work
to do.
I think if we are going to say
we are the finest city, we need
to make sure that we are taking
care of our employees to
provide the services that our
residents rely and depend on.
And I just want to say thank
you for showing up to work
every day even when your
cubicle MAY not be the proper
operational order.
But it doesn't stop you from
coming to work and to serve
the public.
So thank you for all of your
efforts, all of your
dedication.
As you hear we have PRESIDENT
Of the organization that has
been with the city for 37
years.
I think that speaks to
the importance of nba and
the dedication of our employees
So thank you for your continued
service.
Thank you for your continued
fight.
Thank you for holding us
accountable.
I think it's the right thing to
do.
And again, we have more work to
do.
And again, congratulations on
100 years.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Foster.
And we'll go next to
Councilmember Von Wilpert.
Thank you very much to my
colleagues Bring forth
fantastic proclamations as
always, Mike Happy birthday And
Rafe and and and happy 29th
birthday.
You two are looking fantastic.
Oh, but no, honestly,
congratulations to nea and all
of the city employees who have
shown such excellent leadership
to be joining a union.
And thank you for fighting
the lawsuit that you did to end
the legal overturning of
defined benefit and retirement
for so many workers.
You know, since we got elected
we got to then implement that
decision and we're seeing
people come back to the city to
work here again which is
wonderful because that provides
residents with the services
that they need.
And so it's been just a win win
all around.
But the find extremely long
legal battle because it also
helped protect other employees
and other municipalities from a
similar attack.
So very glad you're here.
And I learned something about
nea.
I think this proclamation that
when mba was founded city
employees worked six days and
44 hours a week.
They had no benefits little
voice in their workplace
overtime was not even mentioned
as a possibility.
But it was the union who
secured health, dental vision
and life insurance And with
the bank collapsed shortly
after the 1929 stock market
crash.
It was nea members who created
their own credit union pulling
together their membership dues
to provide loans to other
members to get to the financial
crisis.
I mean that's an incredible
history that mta has so today
we are very thankful for
the people who make our city
work every day from our parks
and recreation directors who
create safe welcoming spaces
for families in the public to
our librarians who connect
residents with new portals to
education opportunity to our
planners and engineers who help
shape our communities to our
911 dispatch responders who
work day and night or some of
the kind of the most patient
individuals I've ever met in my
life two analysts, inspectors,
technicians, administrate
professionals and countless
others whose work happens
behind the scenes but benefits
every city diegan Every day.
So thank you so much for all
you do And I'm looking forward
to another hundred years but
hopefully at some point you'll
give make a break.
So I'm really honored to to be
taking this proclamation today
and then for item 31
Transgender History Month, I'm
very proud to join my
colleagues in recognizing
AUGUST 25th, 2026 as
Transgender History Month in
the city of San Diego.
This year marks the 60th
anniversary of the 1966
Compton's cafeteria riots one
of the earliest known acts of
collective resistance by
transgender and gender
nonconforming people in United
States even pre-dating
the Stonewall riots.
It was here in the San
Francisco Tenderloin District
in 1966 in which a riot was
erupting in response to
the violent inconsistent police
harassment of trans people
including for the crime at
the time a female impersonation
.
Luckily we will be honest and
this incident was one of
the first lgbtq related efforts
United States to actually
recognize transgender activism
And I'm very proud to recognize
that here today and since we
are coming up to
the anniversary, I'm also very
proud that Diego has been a
leader in reversing the history
of police discrimination
against our trans community.
In 2015 one of our very own
first responders made history
here in San Diego when
Christine Garcia publicly came
out as a transgender woman
After years serving as an
officer in a senior police
force, she initially feared it
would end her law enforcement
career according to an
interview she did with Tribune
interviewing transgender woman
because she thought she would
cautiously at first telling
only a close friend who was
also a member of the lgbtq
community.
Sergeant Dan Meyer, who was one
of our lgbtq liaison officers
and he had the courage to go to
that police chief Sailor
Tamarin and say I didn't know
what plan we'd have.
We're going to work out a plan
to make sure that she could
continue serving in uniform
with the badge.
And they did.
And as soon as Christine Garcia
came out to appear she thought
quote Maybe I'll lose respect
from 50% of the department.
But she said I'm a good cop and
I hoped if I could show that
i'm still a good cop only my
appearance change I could
change their perception.
Well, guess what?
According to her interview when
that day came she received
nothing but accepted.
She said she made herself
available to officers who have
questions even personal ones in
the hope that would help them
better understand what being
transgender means and what
bravery she had.
Unfortunately the public didn't
react as well but she felt
completely supported by
the standing police department.
She had to deal with public
members who were coming in
calling for her resignation.
But the police department stood
strong and she stayed out
working at a traffic cop for
quite a few years after that.
She's now that other department
But I'm just so proud to say
they can help reverse that
history making sure that trans
people are treated as people as
they should be.
I also want to now recognize
item 32 Legal Administrative
assistant to David three Day
And Cindy, if you'd like to
come up to the podium I know
you hear him.
>> There you are.
Come on up, City.
City is I am honored to join
the city attorney Heather
Ferber and Counselor Ocampo in
recognizing Sydney Victory Day
in the more than 40 years of
dedicated service you provide
to the city of San Diego.
I'm Cindy began her career in
1985 and serving on the police
department's Patio Fire Rescue
department and now in
the city's attorney's office.
Throughout her career she has
earned the respect of
colleagues including me When I
was a deputy city attorney for
her professionalism, attention
to detail and commitment to
public service.
You have also been a trusted
resource for colleagues always
willing to share your knowledge
to help others, always willing
to share your knowledge with us
Council members as you have
prepared many closed session
briefings over the years.
I know your contributions will
continue beyond your
retirement.
You have created manuals
templates, databases, training
materials to help the new city
attorney and assistance coming
up in the city attorney's
office.
You also help to navigate us
through the challenges of 2020
when you transition city
council meetings and three
virtual format including our
closed session meetings.
You are such a great example of
public service and dedication.
We're going to MISS You but
with the remainder of my time
If you'd like to say anything
please please the microphone.
I just want to say it's been an
honor and a privilege to be an
employee of the city of San
Diego.
I've always learned from where
I've been People do good work
for the city and especially in
the attorney's office.
I've had two stints there and I
wish people understand how hard
the attorneys work and doing
the right thing for the city
And it's just been a joy to
work with so many wonderful
attorneys and staff including
when you and I have interacted
on a few occasions, Marty and I
would say the work I'm most
proud of was coming through
the transition.
It was a lot Some of you all
who are here remember how we
got through But it's it's a joy
and I'm going to MISS
The people.
I'm going to MISS The work And
I've told so many of my
colleagues it's hard to leave
when you love what you do and
you love who you're doing it
for But it's time to move on.
>> But I will never forget my
time here.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
And that concludes my comments.
All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Marvel.
And we'll turn it over to our
city attorney for a few words.
Thank you so much.
First it's my privilege to
congratulate mj on 100 years of
service and thank their
leadership for all their hard
work on behalf of the city and
its employees including
the more than 200 mta
represented employees in
the city attorney's office.
But today it is my honor to
celebrate the career and
service of one of those
dedicated mta members and a key
member of our team at the city
Attorney's office Andy McNary.
Since 1985 Cindy has been a
steady positive force in so
many departments in the city
spending I think most of her
time with the city attorney's
office.
She's the kind of person who
makes things easier for
everyone creating tools,
manuals and resources that
people still use today.
Even on the eve of her
retirement she is working on
finalizing an updated ordinance
drafting manual for our
deputies and legal
administrative assistant which
is going to be fantastic.
When the pandemic turned
everything upside down, Cindy
helped us move the city council
meetings online.
She also helped us move all of
our paper routing processes.
Attorneys love paper.
She helped move all those
online as well so we could make
sure the city kept running
smoothly.
I will never forget calling
Cindy during covid from my
house about an issue with
the housing ordinance package
that was easily over 100 pages
and I was losing my mind on how
to get this thing done.
Cindy jumped in to help get
the ordinance on the right
track and help me meet some
really tight deadlines on
the project.
And I know I'm not the only
person in the office who has
benefited from Cindy's
generosity and willingness to
help.
She's always there for her
coworkers sharing her knowledge
and lending a hand.
People trust her and trust and
she has earned that trust and
she has earned that through
years of hard work and
integrity.
Now Cindy, you're heading into
retirement.
Your cheerful attitude and can
do spirit will be missed.
We're so excited about your
retirement plans and we know
that you're going to make
the most of it.
Thank you for everything that
you've done for San Diego.
We're so grateful for your
dedication, public service and
the positive way you showed up
every day willing to help and
make a real difference.
>> Congratulations.
Thank you, MADAM City Attorney
.
>> And I'm going to turn over
to city clerk for a few words
as well.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I never speak
during proclamations but really
just want to take a moment.
For Cindy McNary Day I just
wanted to thank you from
the bottom of my heart and
the office of the City Clerk
for the countless hours you
have worked alongside our
deputy city clerks, our
legislative recorders and all
of our office to ensure that
the city's record is always
accurate and complete.
You have done it all with such
grace, kindness and
professionalism.
The legacy you are leaving
behind with your kindness and
joy I hope spreads through all
.
Continuing to work with our
office.
But the ordinance drafting
manual as I mentioned by
the city attorney is really
your nuggets your legacy which
I will call the McNairy manual
from here forth because your
knowledge, dedication and
attention to detail are now
part of that resource and will
continue to guide and support
others and our office.
You definitely made a
difference and I thank you for
all your work for the office
and for the city.
Thank you Cindy.
>> All right.
Thank you, City Clerk And now
we've got a council member Eli
Rivera.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
Thank you to my colleagues for
bringing these proclamations
forward.
I'll start with our municipal
Employees Association Hundred
Anniversary Day.
I'm very, very proud to be
joining the mayor and my
colleagues with this.
A lot has been said about
everything that he does for its
members.
I'm going to focus a bit more
on why having such a strong
union is so good for the public
In a city that has long has a
long history of villainizing
public employees and making
the problems of the city
the result of city workers and
not the result of poor
leadership or dishonesty by
politicians.
You have been in a very, very
tough spot for a very long time
and despite that I have never
flinched in being committed to
your roles And those are roles
that sometimes are front facing
the librarians that people love
and and folks like that but
also even more often are people
behind the scenes And none of
the public services that people
see need and appreciate would
be provided without public
servants providing those
services and as has been
mentioned before, the city
couldn't do it in the way that
we do it.
We couldn't strive to be better
without the expertise that you
all provide.
Without the commitment to
public service that you have
And oftentimes it's been done
despite not being paid in a
manner that is competitive with
other cities directly next to
ours.
So thank you for everything you
do and have done.
I'm deeply appreciative for all
of you.
I'll now transition to our next
proclamation Item 31
Transgender History Month.
Thank you to my colleagues and
Mayor Gloria for bringing this
one forward.
I'm very proud to support
the proclamation.
I want to say thank you to our
Trenton transgender community
for your courage, your
resilience, your creativity and
the inspiration you provide to
everyone to be our full
authentic selves.
There's also a chance here to
honor the read The two
recognize that gender gender
diversity is not new to San
Diego.
The community people who have
called this land home for
thousands of years hold their
own traditions recognizing
gender beyond the binary in
what many communities today
call to spirit.
And when we celebrate
transgender San Diego, we're
also honoring a history of
gender that predates the city
itself.
So I'm glad to stand in support
of this proclamation And every
transgender San Diego And DR.
Jen, you said it very well to
our transgender community.
We see you.
We love you.
We appreciate you.
And then last but certainly not
least, Cindy, thank you for
the service you provided to
the city.
It's I'm so glad that you're
here on the same day as mayor
was was recognized because you
are the embodiment of a public
servant who for 40 years has
done jobs that are oftentimes
not appreciated by the public
but are essential to making
sure that the public gets what
they they need and is just a
model for what public service
looks like.
So thank you so much for
everything that you've done.
We deeply appreciate it.
And thank you to the city
attorney forever Councilor
providing Wolpert and Catherine
Campo for recognizing that that
work as well.
And I'll just conclude by
saying, you know having
the level of appreciation that
I just saw from City Attorney
Ferber and the clerk says a lot
about the quality of work that
you do.
I know that the clerk has a
very, very detailed eye.
And and just a very, very good
sign of the commitment to your
job and everything that you
have put into it for so long.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Eli Rivera.
And now we'll go next next to
council member Moreno.
Thank you.
I'll start off with item number
31.
Transgender History Month to
the transgender community.
Vivian loves you and my whole
family loves you.
Item number 32 Legal
Administrative assistant Cindy
McNary De Thank you for your
service.
I think I can't say anything
else.
I will MISS All your emails and
congratulations on retirement
at such a young age.
I would also like to say I
think that's a that's a
demonstration of of all
the hard work that MAY does
when we have such a wonderful
human being that gets to retire
and enjoy the rest of her life.
I hear every day is Saturday
I'll be joining you in DECEMBER
.
>> Moving on to item number 30
San Diego Municipal Employees
Association 100th anniversary
day.
Congratulations mda.
When I first started working at
City Hall, our city employees
were vilified by elected
officials who sat on this very
dais and also by the by
the media.
They denigrated our city staff.
In my 16 year tenure I've had
the pleasure of meeting many
hard working dedicated meaa
members who have given up so
much as public servants.
I'm proud to have been a small
part of the unwinding of prop b
and thank you for your
partnership And also I trust
all my votes regarding mta
members has demonstrated my
unwavering commitment to our
city workers.
>> Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Moreno.
And with that we have a motion
by myself to move
the proclamation seconded by
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee.
Clerk Please call the roll.
>> I'm sorry.
The voting system Please cast
your vote.
Working.
>> My apologies, COUNCILMAN
Campbell.
We'll look at it over
the recess.
Would you like to let me know
your vote?
Yes.
I vote yes.
>> That does pass unanimously 8
to 0 with Councilmember Campo
absent.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
And with that we will now pause
for photos and we will start
with item 30 San Diego
Municipal Employees Association
100th anniversary day.
>> So if we could join us in
ready okay, we will get on with
the rest of the council's
business and proceed with
the approval of the consent
items with the exception of
item 55 which I will be pulling
from the consent agenda to be
heard later this morning after
our morning discussion item 330
So again item 55 will be pulled
and will be heard after our
morning discussion item 330.
So are there any other request
to pull items by the council
members not seeing any such
request?
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment on the consent
items.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Please Now
each speaker will have one
minute per item per person.
If you would like to speak on
three or more items you will
have a maximum of three minutes
for those participating
virtually that are part of an
organized presentation should
raise their hand in the virtual
queue at this time.
The consent agenda includes
items 1050 through 62 minus
item 55 that was pulled 100
through 112.
We received comments on items
54 two opposed via our e
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 112 is the potential
appointment of Kay Hobson and
reappointment of Nick Galeano
to the Consolidated Plan
Advisory Board for terms ending
JULY 1st, 2028 starting with
Jacob Lewis.
Edwards We actually did not
have any organized
presentations for the consent
agenda.
Jacob as we are speaking please
come forward Items 5354 or 57
you will have three minutes.
Please proceed when you get
there.
But if Joyce Sonata can come up
to the front row allegedly
Audra Isabel okay.
Paula Kruger and Laurie Saldana
if you can all please come up
to the front row That'd be
great.
>> Please proceed.
Good morning, Council men and
women.
Thank you for Let me speak upon
up for you today I'm speaking
on these agenda items and they
are amendments and prior to
recess I spoke how important
amendments are and I spoke upon
the importance of amending
the 27 budget is what I was
referring to of of amending And
while I'm here before you today
is to consider amending the 27
budget to include food The Neal
de Goods Center's funding It's
a homeless resource center for
So we're really asking you to
speak on the three items that
you identified not a you can
talk about it on agenda public
comment on budget request You
need to speak specifically to
the three items that you
identified not just generally
about a minutes.
Okay.
Thank you.
Joyce Any other Joyce anybody
you're speaking on?
5051, 52, 58, 61 and 111.
You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Okay.
On 50 Yes.
To exempt a program coordinator
position in I t for classified
service.
Yes To oversee cybersecurity
policies and control that
govern the security management
of info systems.
I can see that word for all
across all city departments so
love it.
Thank you so much.
51 Yes To approve the fourth
Amendment between the city and
San Diego Futures Foundation to
provide accessible community
based digital skills training
through the digital literacy
program.
Yes.
Reach out Lift up everyone to
ride the fast train into our
new world Evolution for all
Number 52 Yes to rev track
direct your bank we have
the back of I.T.
Please keep the public in
the info loop of I.T of Excuse
me I did this very fast late
last night I key into our new
world of virtual reality.
We need the real ness of all of
you I.T the real ness.
Please help us stay focused on
58 Yes to the Sixth Amendment
Cooperative procurement
contract with Real rig Pacific
Company for waste carts,
cycling carts and so forth a
big yes to curb Brady Excuse me
and the rest of
the environmental services
Department Team 61 Yes to
the Office of the City Clerk
for Electric Filing System with
Pasadena Consulting Group will
help you as much as we can.
City Clerk We love all of you.
And lastly number 111 Dear
Office of the city attorney
people $40 million settlement
It's hard for me to speak.
Please please help the public
see through the clouds of
litigation so we can understand
stand the edge of the risks
that shape our decisions.
These decisions are for one
people one family and one San
Diego.
It's been a great morning,
hasn't it?
Isn't this a great life?
I'm so glad to be here with all
of you.
Love to all Thank you.
Your next is allegedly Audra
you'll be speaking on time is
5456, 58, 59, 104 to 111.
You'll have three minutes An
item 55 since it was pulled.
We'll call you up then.
Great.
Thanks.
Thanks for pulling that new Oh
yeah.
>> So this military equipment I
just find it interesting You
guys want to use that on
the people We had our border
invaded and nothing just or
easier on the people.
I don't know if you guys know
that Trump is going to do
nuclear weapons testing in our
nation.
He just opened it up hasn't
been done since 1992.
Wonder if they'll protect us
against that?
Who knows?
But it's good, right?
It's good radiation all around
covering the entire nation So
yes.
So for 56 in this zone
the meter zone boundaries I
think instead of having
employees being exempt from
parking we should actually
charge more, you know, because
you guys get your city trucks
that are exempt.
You know, the mayor goes in
parks in the red zone.
It's like GOD forbid somebody
else do that the danger zone.
But it's cool if you're
the mayor you can do it And
then let's see 58 This is
interesting you guys always
love exceeding your not to
exceed contracts And who would
have thought one would start
out at $3 Million and go up to
100 six and it still says not
to exceed right I mean it's
going to go up to 500 who knows
because you guys are already
getting you know 129,000,001 in
600,000 just from the fees that
you guys are giving people and
you're putting these rfid chips
in there which is real
interesting so that people can
have their, you know, track
trash tracked and traced and
you know, have a gps location
exact time, you know, So if you
want to go in there and see
what's in their trash and I'm
wondering if you guys are going
to do weight tracking which
allows for a weight based fee.
I'm sure that will come at some
point.
But this is very terrifying as
we are collecting everybody's
data and we have all of this
surveillance and this goes all
the way up to the people like
BlackRock, Vanguard, State
Street, JPMorgan, you know all
the people that you guys love
so much.
>> And then with 59, I'm
wondering, you know with
the school board districts and
this is for elections but I'm
wondering if you can change
the municipal code for
the school to ensure that
pedophiles don't get hired
because what Scott Wiener is
attempting to do is to allow
pedophiles to work in any kind
of like up here.
It could be it could be on a
school board.
Right.
Not a rapist, not somebody who
rapes like an adult.
But you know, if they rape
children, it's cool we can hire
them.
So I think that's something
that you guys should work to
implement to ensure that we're
not hiring pedophiles because
that happens It happens with
you know, teachers aides and
stuff like that And we're not
ensuring that that children are
not getting molested during nap
time.
So I feel like you guys could
do something better to, you
know, ensure if you do care
about kids which you guys have
them And so it's like you're
trusting them with people that
you probably shouldn't Maybe
you should do more about that.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Isabelle Kay You're speaking on
items 54 109 so you'll have two
minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Council PRESIDENT LaCava,
Council members and staff.
I wasn't actually planning to
be here at all today.
I was just a resident of La
Hoya Paris.
Item number 109 and apparently
we are attorney have settled
with you for $10 million to
rebuild 12 units that were
unnecessarily damaged and red
tagged and have to be torn down
because you didn't act in time
to prevent a Ryan from just
letting our slide and damage
all those buildings.
And now it's been three years
when people have had nowhere to
live.
You stop supporting the poor
residents of those buildings or
the people who rented them out
and it's really been a mess And
I don't think $10 million is
enough And what are we going to
do if it costs more?
However, I was looking through
the agenda and I came across
item number 54 which I cannot
believe that you are going to
go ahead and acquire more
military hardware.
There's no cost associated with
it in the agenda.
And I guess the idea is to kill
first and try to get to
the bottom of the solution
the problems of mental health
and homelessness after for
GOD's sake stop going down this
path of supporting the military
industrial complex and get
the money and that effort and
those expertise into
the community.
Stop militarizing our city.
Please.
Thank you.
Oh, I guess I have a little bit
more time.
I think more significant really
than the budget crisis here is
a common sense crisis among
decision makers and an empathy
and integrity crisis to be very
honest.
Look at what is going on.
You are funding for open
military weapon for thank you
statement.
Paul Kruger if you can please
come forward.
5658 12421 11.
You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you very much.
I want to first on item 56
which is record keeping
housekeeping for the parking
meter zones to urge all of you
when you are reviewing
the installation of parking
meters in residential areas to
please listen to the businesses
and the residents in those
areas who would not.
And for example in my area of
Talmage Kensington would not
strongly oppose a reasonable
meter times and rates of say 10
A.M. To 6 P.M..
Those meters though are from 8
P.M. To 8 P.M. And it's totally
impractical for a restaurant or
a business that's going to go
for more than two hours in that
timeframe.
So please just listen to what
the community tells you on
those issues.
On the $3 million increase on
item 58, the $3 million
increase in the waste in our
recycling and trash bins.
Two things One is council
member Bowen Wolpert opposed
this last time Assuming that
you will oppose it this time
could you please once again
explain why And on this you
know I was sitting in
the audience after I asked you
to please give more
consideration to how did this
contract become $106 million
And I was approached
unsolicited by a fellow who
identified himself as a member
as an employee of
the Treasurer's department and
said you need to keep looking
at this.
I'm not looking at it.
I don't have the expertise.
But what does that say about
what's going on with this
expenditure?
And I would urge you and your
roles as council members if
the mayor is not going to take
the initiative to review this,
please there's something going
on here I think.
And then lastly,
the settlements It's more than
$57 million in settlements and
these items 104 to 111 And some
of them, you know, at least $7
million are negligence on
potholes.
Another the $6.5 million for a
scooter fatality, $40 million
for the water rates, $10
million for the broken water
main that caused the flooding.
Something is wrong here When we
end up as taxpayers having to
pay these huge settlements $56
million and we're down here
week after week after week
approving these these
settlements or jury verdicts.
>> We need to do more about
this.
Thank you very much, Laurie,
for dying African.
Please come forward.
You're speaking on 51 5460
(210)010-8010 nine You'll have
three minutes.
Please proceed.
Yes.
First of all, I would say we
just spent over an hour an hour
on proclamations and we have
less time to deal with 27
items, maybe 1 or 2 less.
So I personally find this
practice even though I
litigated on the proclamations
nearly ten years ago to have
the be take place in chambers,
this is not a way to have
substantive discussion and I
would be sitting there if you
really believe as you read a
statement about valuing public
comments you're not giving as
much time to do that.
So I don't know what the value
actually is.
i have indicated several items
here and 51 the return on
investment of digital literacy
is extremely high So I
absolutely support that.
In contrast, item 54 I oppose
because the return on
investment of buying military
resources to police our
citizens with higher and higher
grades of intensity a pepper
ball three of I mean how about
the escalation to say that
there is no reasonable
alternative for public safety
is just frankly impossible to
believe there are alternatives
And you're going to see more
and more litigation as people
are harmed by these military
grade not to mention how are
you training police officers
who maybe don't have military
experience and many of them do?
What is the cost of training
them to you safely use if there
is such a thing some of this
equipment.
Okay.
You pulled one of the items
here to the afternoon jumping
ahead I put in a slip for item
62 sole source contract for
emergency storm drain projects.
Our coastal bluffs are eroding
and we're about to see a
massive El Nino cycle continue
that erosion I remember in
the 1980s I was working on
building the new post office in
Pacific Beach when we had
the last major El Nino cycle I
was a carpenter.
I would show up and we would be
flooded out.
I watched Crystal Pier fall to
pieces and we are about to
watch a similar thing with our
coastal bluffs.
So these damages we are seeing
are about to happen again in
real time and these emergency
repairs are insufficient and
related to that, why are we
giving sd any an amendment to
expand capacity around
the Mission Bay San Diego River
area across from where Midway
is being proposed and Midway
development Is it related to
that or is there saltwater
intrusion in their existing
lines and they need to expand
by thousands of square feet of
their easement so that they can
move things into the drier
ground Running out of time here
let me just say Isabel has been
out of her home the woman who
just spoke again because
the city is not doing enough on
storm waters and I will speak
more to that and non agenda
comment.
>> Thank you.
>> That was all done yet we did
not receive a speaker slip from
you for 55 which was trailed to
after 331 this morning.
So if you would like to speak
on that item please be sure to
submit a speaker So we'll go to
those participating online
starting with clarification If
you can please let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to.
>> Hi Claire Beekman I wanted
to speak to items 50 5150 four
and I wanted to speak to 55 But
it's not going to be it's going
to be pulled and talk to you
later So I can just speak to it
at that time.
So I guess the other item I
would like to possibly speak on
but I MAY not have a lot to say
is the item 62.
>> You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
To speak first to item 51 this
was an item that was a digital
literacy program.
It was brought to committee a
few months ago Now it seemed
like a pretty good program.
I was interested in it.
I am still feeling that as this
item has a certain way to be
working to be working towards
digital literacy goals of
describing open accountable
practices how a person can be a
part of the process a
technology future to describe
their civil rights and civil
protection ideas.
It builds out the ideas of good
community practices of being a
good citizen you know, just our
civil protections, our civil
rights and it builds our good
stuff And I think that should
be a part of how we build our
digital digital literacy
programs.
>> I don't know how to better
say it, but I think you get
the gist of what I'm trying to
say and it's important and I, I
think it can help young people
all people I think and everyone
gets enthused and excited when
they able to talk about their
own civil rights and
constitutional rights.
So good luck and how to develop
that into digital literacy
programs that speak to item 54
military equipment under
Assembly Bill 481 I just a
quickly comment I felt that
Councilperson pastor brought up
a really good point In
the previous months that sdp is
a bit skimping on how they
practice their open public
meeting process.
They MAY have technically had a
legal language they technically
MAY not have and there they
were skipping that was clear
and how to talk to the public
and be accessible in their
technology practices.
So they had a good meeting in
JULY I heard Good luck with
that.
It has to be very, very clear
how we do our things with
technology in the future.
You can't just skim around it
and say you're getting away
with it.
You have to be a real earnest
effort that we're building a
future of openness and
accountability for ourselves as
a full committee process and
not just for a select few.
It's important to learn that we
got to keep learning that and
that's how we build That helps
build our better sustainable
future.
>> And I quickly offer item 62
is I wish I had more to say.
I should have more say on
the item of a building
emergency starting a
replacement project for Crest
Canyon Park System Hopefully I
can just noted that this time
and good luck how you can talk
about it and good luck how we
can talk about upcoming item 55
it's been pulled and get it own
special time Thank you.
Thank you.
Next.
7499 If you can please unmute.
Oh oh does this I'd like to
speak to items 52 and 61.
>> You'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
>> Both of these items are
related to our new computer
driven electronic environment
but do these contracts ensure
that these contractors will
serve all of the people?
I have to ask this because I
continue We see the city giving
contracts to businesses who
fail to provide services to
significant segments of our
population.
For example, the city clerk now
uses a business at Seamless
Vox.Com where citizens can
upload their media files for
this council.
But the seamless Vox.Com
website does not work with all
web browsers.
So I contacted the city about
it and I was told just this
morning that the support and
port supported browsers for
seamless docs forms are only
the current versions of
the major browsers So anyone
with older browsers MAY not be
able to upload media files for
presentations to this council.
Those people apparently don't
matter.
Let me ask would it be
appropriate for the city's
parking meters to only allow
parking of cars built since
2020?
Would it be appropriate for
the city to only accept phone
calls from telephones built to
2023?
Would it be appropriate for
the city to only accept email
from software written since
2025?
Of course not.
Yet that's what some of your
contractors are effectively
doing right now Under your
authority The city must realize
that private businesses have
agendas that are not 100%
compatible with the public good
.
It's your duty as
representatives of the people
to ensure that all contracts
with private businesses
guarantee that all of
the people are equally served.
But you are failing that duty
with so many of your contracts
from seamless docks to
the airport concession.
Shame on each of you for being
either too lazy or too corrupt
to ensure that your contractors
serve all the people.
No thank you.
>> Back to the manager If you
can please email and let me
know which item or items you
wish to speak to.
>> Good morning.
I have three items I wanted to
speak to 5354 and 58.
>> Please proceed.
You have three minutes.
Okay, thanks.
First I just wanted to say how
an echo Lori Saldana has come
at them.
This is completely
inappropriate.
Just that too much together so
many items and have so little
conversation and no
presentations about some of
the items that are on the JULY
14th meeting.
I think there was 30 items and
like Lori said within an hour
of proclamation and then like
45 minutes on 30 items it's
completely inappropriate.
So item 53 is the vehicle lease
agreement.
I was going back through my
notes.
It looks like SEPTEMBER 15th,
2025 we approved the $95
million in medium heavy duty
trucks 40 million in light
duty.
So it looks like we're going to
do another 40 million on top of
that.
Everyone driving around sees
all these brand new cars
driving around everywhere and
you're telling us we have a
huge budget deficit?
It's it's really silly.
Like I wouldn't be buying a
brand new car if my you know,
if I need to reapply my entire
house.
And so I just wanted to say
that.
And I also couldn't find any
documentation regarding
the competitive bidding process
or I think it 72 our llc dba
National Authorization Fleet
Group.
I saw online that that OCTOBER
5th, 2016 based on the results
of a competitive process in
Miami-Dade County
the administering agent on
behalf of us communities blah
blah blah entered into a
contract with Pacific.
Oh sorry That's down but okay
sorry Running on item 34 That
irony that irony we're here
praising unions and the power
of unions and mta and good work
and thank goodness for unions
while we're military the cpd
who would have prevented from
us from having a labor movement
at all and having unions and
having a middle class at all.
We're completely against
militarizing our our local
police So it looks like we're
giving them $100 million from
the general fund In addition to
the 18 million we get from
the us.
I, I also saw on the fema
website that a minimum of 10%
of grant money from the usa
must be used dedicated to
supporting collaboration
between state and local law
enforcement and ice through
the 287 b program.
Pretty sure we're in California
Pretty sure we don't
participate in the 287 g
program so I'm not sure how
we're getting funding If 10% of
it has to be dedicated.
The us Army needs to be
dedicated to using I don't know
how we got the $80 million item
58 Lastly, no explanation at
the last meeting for the $3
million increase to represented
came up told us nothing.
$3 million contract ballooned
to 106 million and there was no
competitive bid process that I
could find online or emailing
and Montana It's ridiculous.
>> Thank you.
Your time is concluded.
The five minutes are also
concluded.
There are two speakers in
the queue.
No additional speakers will be
taken.
Natalie I ask you if you can
please unmute and let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to.
>> Continental Rescue 5354 and
50 Please proceed to me.
>> Yes please proceed.
You have three minutes 50 354
and 55.
>> So the 55 was pulled from
the agenda So we'll give you
two minutes and then you can
speak to that one at the at
the appropriate time.
>> Please proceed with the two
items.
So I do agree with having to
rush through all of these items
and get your thoughts together
and make a comment on all of
these things in a matter of a
few minutes.
But with this the vehicle lease
agreement so we're financing
with jp Morgan and Jp Morgan
Chase has faced major
controversy for years in
the last five years who is
directly associated with
Jeffrey Epstein these are
the things that I'm talking
about when we do business with
big banks.
>> I don't care if they're big
banks, big business that are
associated with people that are
directly harming our country,
the world children and we're
still doing contracts with this
bank.
So to me that just pushes
everything forward And living
in this inverted world it's
crazy to me.
I don't see how nobody is
Question anything like how that
still happens.
This is why we're in this
problem because we're
associating and making it when
we do business with them then
we're saying it's okay that
they do these things In my
opinion 54 Oh man So it goes
fast.
Military equipment How are we
going to trust that they are
trained enough to use these
this equipment I had direct
contact with sd pd on a
continuous basis and I'm going
to say maybe two interactions
were comfortable and I'm a 411
woman Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Judy Strang If you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to, I'd like to speak to item
58 and item 104 Please proceed.
I'm struggling with the sound
on my computer so I hope you
can hear me.
I'm at work and it's always
more difficult.
>> We can hear you.
Please proceed.
Very useful to the public In my
case as I was reviewing 58 and
one of four in particular that
when you received the agenda
through the calendar you cannot
use the link to open up to get
the staff report.
I wonder if there's a way that
that can be mitigated.
You have to go back and enter
it separately directly so that
you can read the staff report.
One way this could help us in
the solving the big problem is
in a small problem is if you
could give us just a little bit
more information for example on
I'm speaking to these out of
order I apologize to item 1o4.
It talks about the payment for
a settlement that a young woman
had bought her scooter at 1090
Roselle Street Street.
I happen to know really well
and I know that probably
the dangerous condition that
she's responding to and there
are a lot of them in that area
I need to drive back and see if
they've been fixed.
The last time I saw a fix they
took a very what could have
been a very nice met walkway
and instead or black asphalt I
guess that somebody's idea of
fixing it But if you could put
more information about what
that alleged was and how much
the payout was then we wouldn't
have to go searching in
the staff report And if we
could help us very quickly i
too am gravely concerned about
$3 million to go to
the contract regarding our
co-op to a procurement with
the Reader Pacific Company man
$3 million and we are worried
about our public restrooms So
some sort of disconnect there.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That concludes public comment
on the consent agenda.
>> All right.
Thank you, city Clerk.
And with that we'll turn over
to my council colleagues for
questions, Comments Entertain a
motion and we'll start with
council member Campbell Oops,
my apologies.
I didn't Thank you.
>> Council PRESIDENT I will be
very brief.
I would like to speak on item
111 Kay Hobson will be
appointed to the Consolidated
Plan Advisory Board.
Kay is currently retired but
prior to that she served as
Director of finance for
the County of San Diego and
after nearly ten years of
serving it then she then
retired.
Prior to that she was
responsible for financial for
financial and budgetary
oversight at the county's
general services purchasing
contracting, housing and
Community Development
Redevelopment Agency Library
Registrar of Voters And
additionally Kay was
the assistant vice PRESIDENT Of
Investments at San Diego
National Bank.
She also volunteers on the arts
District Liberty Station Board
of Directors.
Kaye earned her Bachelor of
Arts from the University of
Texas in Austin and a
professional certificate in
accounting from uc San Diego.
Given her background in finance
government I believe Kaye
Hobson would be a great
addition.
The consolidated Plan Advisory
Board and I so appreciate her
willingness to serve.
Thank you.
>> All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Campbell.
Can I take that as a motion to
approve the proclamation or
the consent items?
All right.
Thank you.
And we'll go next to Council
Moreno.
>> Thank you.
I have comments on item 53
the master lease agreement to
finance General fund vehicles
and equipment.
I'd like to register a no vote
on item 53.
I've become uneasy with
the structure by which the city
purchases then leases vehicles.
Last year I didn't support a
similar items that have come
through the council now.
I do understand that this is
how the city has purchased
vehicles in recent years but
I'm uncomfortable with the city
perpetually issuing debt to
fund vehicles and equipment for
our fleet.
So I will be voting no on this
item but will be supporting
the balance of the consent
agenda.
And that concludes my comments.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Moreno.
So we have a motion by Council
member Campbell to move
the consent item from
the second by council member
Moreno And we'll go next to
Councilmember John Wolpert.
>> Thank you.
I also would like to register a
no vote on item 63 and 5855 was
pulled, right?
Yes.
Okay.
And I just I do have a question
about the new rfid readers that
we're purchasing as part of
item 53.
>> Do I have that right or item
58.
Good morning.
Customer one over Jeremy Bauer
Environmental Services
Assistant Director.
>> Okay.
Sorry I'm 58.
I have questions on it.
>> So all of the new trash bins
that the city purchased were
equipped with rfid chips but
we're just now we can't read
them.
The trash trucks can't read
the chips.
>> The plan has always been to
do a pilot to buy the actual
hardware.
To answer your question, yes
all the containers comes
standard with the tags
themselves embedded in
the container.
What we had to subsequently do
as a step is buy the hardware
to scan them And we did a pilot
on one technology.
The detection rate wasn't high
enough to meet our operational
needs so we did not come back
for a contract amendment to
purchase the that vendor.
This action would be to allow
us to if this current pilot
were about to begin a
successful would give us
the capacity to then buy
the hardware for that
technology.
Okay How open?
This is why I voted against
buying new trashcans in
the first place But I assumed
when the trash cans were
purchased we would have already
tested the technology.
So how is the council going to
know whether or not this next
procurement works And what are
the rfid program is actually
working?
So we are we are comfortable
coming back in probably around
DECEMBER to share the results
of the either via communication
to council members or if you
would like us to present an
informational item to share
the outcome of the pilot to
share from there whether we
would proceed with full
implementation.
>> Okay.
I'm guessing this goes to
the Environment Committee
likely we would begin with
environmental committee first,
correct?
>> I will leave that to
the chair to decide what to do
but I would request a memo to
know how the additional money
we're spending on new rfid
pilot programs actually works
out.
Absolutely.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
And I'll still be voting no on
those two items.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Yvonne Wolpert.
And we'll go next to council
member Isla Rivera.
All right.
Thank you so much, Council
PRESIDENT.
I just wanted to make sure that
I register a no vote on item
54.
Um, as I mentioned in the past
I have concerns about a few of
the pieces of military
equipment that are included in
this action specifically or
maybe most notably flashbangs
which while less lethal are
still dangerous and have
injured, maimed or killed
people in the past.
So understand that within this
action there are some pieces of
equipment that are quite
regular in their use.
However I have concerns about
others and so I will be casting
another vote for that reason.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Yellow
Rivera.
And we'll go next to
Councilmember Foster.
Yes, Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
I would just like to quickly
register a no vote for item 50
for item 58 and item 111.
And that concludes my comments.
Thank you.
All right.
And did you catch that city
clerk?
No.
Could you repeat those for
the no vote on item 54?
Item 58 and item 111.
I missed the first one.
Thank you so much.
All right.
Thank you for that.
Not seeing anybody else on
the lights.
I'm going to offer just some
couple of quick comments.
I know there was unusual amount
of criticism about the consent
items.
One, I certainly encourage
the public.
I don't think there's anybody
in this room that can look at
the name of a docket item.
But all that backup material is
there if you're interested.
All of these items have had
robust conversation before
getting placed on the consent
item.
Whether it's a committee and at
full council And I want to
thank our city clerk and her
team for the work they do and
putting this docket materials
in front of us and also would
encourage you to look at
the current version of
the Brown Act which actually
changed consent items and
actually took actually
encourage people to have less
public comment on consent items
.
As council PRESIDENT I've
chosen not to do that.
I continue our traditional
practice that whether it's a
second reading, whether it's
been heard a committee, whether
it's been heard at city council
to continue to add that to
the consent items.
So that there another one more
opportunity for the public and
for council members to weigh
in.
The Brown Act actually changed
that standard a little bit.
To my surprise I also want to
mention a couple of comments
about the settlement items So I
have to be careful because they
were settlement items.
But on the path item I don't
know that I can possibly
explain to the public about
the nature of that And there
MAY be a little bit when we
bring this the water rates
later this fall and it's just
an astounding one.
I also want to mention a little
bit about the larger Terrace
Homeowners Association because
one of the things I thought
about during proclamations with
mta is that, you know,
the mayor and the city council
make a number of decisions In
the past two years we've made
some very difficult decisions
and yet it is our front line
employees that are out there
interfacing with the public and
MAY be suffering the wrath of
the public on decisions that we
have made here at City Hall.
And I always try to be aware
and sensitive to that which is
one of the reasons why I'm
going to getting off track.
So let me stop there.
But the settlement on 109 we're
paying the price because a
developer or a civil engineer
or a city permit process
allowed a private development
to build inappropriately close
to 11 foot diameter storm
drain.
The proximity didn't cause
the sinkhole but appropriate
stop setbacks had been
respected.
It could have been a much
different story.
That proximity also made
the emergency repairs that much
more expensive.
So as a registered civil
engineer I want to emphasize
design standards matter And
every time we take a shortcut
or let somebody get away with
something it leaves both
the city and the taxpayers on
the hook In the future.
And when that doesn't happen we
should consider ourselves very
lucky.
So with that we have a motion
by council member Campbell and
a second by Council member
Moreno to move the balance of
the consent items.
>> clerk Please call the roll.
I'm sorry the voting system
Please cast your vote And that
passes unanimously 8 to 0 with
Council District five and eight
voting no on 53 council
districts four and nine voting
no on 54 Council districts four
and five voting no on 58.
And Council District four
voting No on item 111.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk And thank
you for paying close attention
to those no votes on
the consent items to make sure
we get it just right.
All right.
So at this moment in
the docket, do we have any
comment, Mayor, from
the mayoral office?
Council member City attorney
Independent budget analyst or
city clerk And Wolf, I see
council member Von Wilbert on
the lights.
Yes.
Thank you.
I'm guessing everybody is
seeing the news alert that one
of our American heroes has just
passed on.
Dolly Parton just died at 80
years old And I want to thank
her for her incredible
musicianship, her journey, all
of the incredible philanthropy
she did throughout the world
including teaching children to
read And Dolly, we will always
love you.
So thank you.
All right.
Thank you for that.
We will now proceed with
the discussion agenda And as a
reminder we will hear item
three 31st and then item 55
which was pulled from
the consent agenda this
morning.
So with that clerk please
introduce item 330.
>> Item 330 is a resolution
condemning the Trump
administration's attacks on
higher education and affirming
the city of San Diego's
commitment to protecting higher
education from political
interference.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
All right.
>> Thank you.
So this item is being brought
forward by District five so
I'll turn it over to council
member Von Wolpert before she
turns it over to her staff for
the presentation.
>> Council Member Thank you
very much Council PRESIDENT And
as my staff are settling in
thank you for your hard work on
this resolution.
I'm proud to bring forth this
resolution reaffirming the city
of San Diego's commitment to
academic freedom and to
the tens of thousands of
students who call San Diego
home.
San Diego is one of
the strongest higher education
and research communities across
the country.
Our universities, colleges and
research institutions educate
the next generation, drive
innovation, support thousands
of jobs and advance research
that improves the lives here in
San Diego and around the world
.
The federalist landscape
surrounding higher education
continues to create uncertainty
for institutions across our
region Here at home
the campaign by the federal
Trump Administration to exert
pressure on our higher
education institutions and
reshape federal policy
affecting our universities and
colleges is creating turmoil
across our institutions.
When institutions face
uncertainty about funding and
federal policy, it can affect
their ability to plan for
the future, recruit and retain
talented faculty and
researchers and maintain
important programs to support
our students.
Trump has raised serious
concerns regarding his pressure
to exert political interference
in higher education
institutions through his
threats to withhold federal
funding depending on whom
the institution supports and
accepts his attacks on
diversity, equity or lgbtq
community.
All of our Hispanic serving
institutions and more shows
that he is willing to use his
political bully pulpit as a
cudgel against our students
restrictions on academic and
scientific research,
suppression of student speech
and lawful protest in policies
targeting our transgender and
international students.
These actions undermine our
long standing democratic
principles including academic
freedom.
And we're here as a city to
stand up and say no.
So now turn it over to my
staff.
Eric Young and Lauren
Hirschman, thank you.
>> Good morning.
Council PRESIDENT And honorable
San Diego City Council.
My name is Eric Young, Deputy
chief of Policy and Director of
Community Relations for
Councilmember Monica Wolpert
and my colleague beside me is
Lauren Hirschman Community
Engagement Coordinator for
Councilmember many of them
Walberg Today's resolution
speaks to a core responsibility
of the city ensuring that
seniors, universities, colleges
and research institutions
remain strong, independent and
capable of serving the public
good without undue political
interference or instability in
the federal funding.
This is about protecting not
just institutions but students
workers research issues and
the long term economic and
civic health of our region.
San Diego is home to one of
the most diverse and impactful
higher education ecosystems in
the state of California Across
our city and region, academic
institutions and
internationally recognized
research for research centers
play a vital role in shaping
our economy.
Strengthening our workforce and
driving innovations that
benefits communities.
These institutions are not only
centers of learning but also
major economic engines For
the city of San Diego they
support thousands of jobs
throughout the region,
contribute billions of dollars
in economic activity and help
prepare the next generation of
professionals.
Research in San Diego continues
to advance scientific discovery
,medical innovation and public
health initiatives that improve
lives both within our region
and across the world.
The continued success and
independence of higher
education institutions is
directly tied to long term
prosperity, competitiveness and
future growth of the city of
San Diego.
Recent federal funding cuts,
grant freezes and legal
challenges have created a
significant uncertainty for
educational institutions across
the San Diego region.
Research institutions depend
heavily on federal grants to
conduct life saving medical
research, scientific
innovation, public health
studies and workforce
development programs.
Reports indicate University of
California San Diego could face
potentially losses ranging from
tens to hundreds of millions of
dollars annually, forcing
hiring freezes, delaying
critical research and
construction projects and
reduction in graduate education
and research opportunities.
The uncertainty itself has
created instability, making it
more difficult for universities
to recruit.
Researchers retain talent plan
long term projects and continue
major scientific initiatives
that benefit the public.
Federal support programs also
play a major role in expanding
educational access and
opportunities for underserved
communities throughout the San
Diego region such as Hispanic
serving institutions otherwise
known as hci, which funding
supports counseling services,
tutoring workforce training,
academic support programs,
cultural resource centers and
first generation student
success initiatives.
>> Recent reporting from
California higher education
coverage including Cal Matters
highlights that federal
proposals and executive actions
have explicitly targeted
programs supporting lgbtq
students and diversity related
campus services.
We rely on these programs to
support working families,
veterans, immigrant communities
and other students who MAY
otherwise face barriers to
higher education reduction or
instability in these funding
streams could
disproportionately impact first
generation and historically
underserved students while also
weakening the region's long
term workforce pipeline and
limiting economic mobility
across San Diego.
>> The impact of this
uncertainty is not abstract it
is local and immediate.
San Diego Institute fans rely
heavily on federal research
grants and student support
funding even the perception of
instability can disrupt long
term research planning, hiring
and student services If funding
streams are reduced or
conditioned on political
criteria, the consequences
include reduced access to
academic support for first
generation and low income
students cuts to counseling,
tutoring and retention programs
,loss of research capacity in
key academic and research
fields such as medicine and
engineering, increased strain
on local workforce development
pipelines.
These attacks are not unique to
San Diego Other California
jurisdictions have already
taken former action to address
concerns about political
interference in higher
education.
The city of Los Angeles and
the city and county of San
Francisco have both adopted
resolutions affirming academic
freedom, scientific integrity,
institutional independence and
constitu tional protections on
college campuses.
These are the solutions
emphasized that higher
education institutions should
be governed by academic and
scientific standards not
political ideology and that
research funding should be
allocated based on merit and
professional review at
the state and local, state and
national level.
There's also growing concern
about policy actions affecting
admission oversight, diversity
programs, campus speech and
research autonomy.
San Diego now has
the opportunity to align with
these principles and reaffirm
its commitment to protecting
its own higher education
ecosystem.
The resolution before you would
formally affirm the city of San
Diego's commitment to
protecting academic freedom,
institutional independence,
scientific integrity,
diversity, equity, inclusion,
free speech and the rights of
students, faculty and staff.
It also formally condemns
political interference in
higher education when such
actions are used to restrict
funding or influence academic
decision making based on
ideological grounds.
>> Importantly, this resolution
also directs the city clerk to
transmit this action to key
stakeholders including
the governor of California
California Congressional
Delegation Leadership of the uc
csu and community college
systems and local higher
education institutions
throughout San Diego.
This ensures that San Diego's
position is clearly
communicated and aligned with
broader statewide efforts to
protect higher education.
In closing this resolution is
about ensuring that San Diego
remains the national leader in
education research and
innovation.
It is about protecting students
access to opportunity,
safeguarding scientific
progress and preserving
the institutional independence
that allows universities to
serve the public interest.
>> I respectfully ask for your
support.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for the presentation
.
>> With that clerk please go to
public public comment and
confront the PRESIDENT
Addressing it.
If you can please come forward
to the microphone After that
will be Jonathan Burgos and
then Lori Saldana.
Jonathan, if you can please
come forward to the reserved
seats at the front And then on
the agenda one minute per
person.
>> This is a great one, isn't
it?
It's just a great one.
You have my total support on
this.
Higher education takes us
higher.
Higher education takes us
higher.
I just absolutely love higher
education.
I went very late in life.
About 40 was the first one in
my family on both sides to get
their bachelor's degree.
So you've got my support.
My four likes are protecting
academic freedom, scientific
research, diversity,
constitutional rights and
institutional dependance.
Therefore be a great
presentation.
Thank you so very much And
being supported I'm a
cheerleader on this.
Thank you.
Love to all Jonathan Burgos
Good morning Council PRESIDENT
And council members.
>> My name is Jonathan Burgos,
executive director of Christian
Scholars and Outstanding
Residents and I'm here in
support of Resolution item
three 34,000 personal income
students that we serve who are
currently in college.
Higher education is more than a
degree It's a pathway to
economic mobility.
This fall students were
the first in their families to
go to college.
From our program already to
Columbia, Cornell, UPenn,
Caltech and Chu to Harvard on
full rights Locally we have
over 200 students attending
ucsd and over 100
quintessential states and this
matters to our entire region.
San Diego's economic strategy
calls for 20,000 newly skilled
workers every year starting at
2030 with 84% of those new jobs
requiring a college degree.
Higher education is economic
infrastructure for our region.
I go down to my son's
orientation at ucla and I'm
heading back right after this.
But as important for me to come
down here to say that vote in
favor of this resolution means
protecting our colleges and
universities and protecting
opportunity, economic mobility
and funding of future.
>> Thank you for that
concluding remark, Lawrence I
don't know if you can please
come forward and then our
speaker in chambers of
the allegedly order please
proceed.
But thank you for introducing
this.
This is important not only to
support faculty and researchers
but remember Department of
Education and Higher Education
Title nine This is where women
and nontraditional students
have access to equal
opportunity because of federal
legislation 50 years ago and we
really still haven't caught up
in many ways although women are
now exceeding that in our
universities and colleges
enrollment And maybe that's
what's driving this.
San Diego State has the oldest
women's studies department in
the country.
I taught there many years ago
and I will tell you that we
were seeing that cuts and
pushbacks against occupations
where women tend to enter.
So make no mistake this is a
systemic attack not just
against the current researchers
and academics and faculty
members.
It is also against students,
especially diverse students who
are seeking simply the same
opportunities that previous
generations of Americans have
had in higher education.
So thank you for bringing this
forward.
>> Allegedly legislature.
I actually think we should
defund education.
It's not education.
It's indoctrination
the Rockefeller slave system.
Do you guys know anything about
the Rockefellers You by educate
yourselves because you guys
care about Trump and it's like
he's so minuscule compared to
these billionaires that are
running everything.
i mean they created the medical
system and it's like you don't
go in there And I mean we have
things that are fictitious that
they're learning like that a
man can be a woman that's like
basics And we're teaching
people that we're redefining
what things are.
So it's it's disturbing because
it is you know, you have to
control the people by, you
know, dumbing down to say kids
can't even read and write when
they go to school but they sure
know what genders are They sure
know how to have incest.
And it's like it's just that
because you know it has been
weaponized and it's unfortunate
I'm sorry at the moment of time
we're going to those
participating remotely.
We currently have seven
speakers in the queue.
Hector if you can please on
mute you'll have one minute.
>> Please proceed.
I agree with what you said, man
.
Now you guys got to start
paying on student loans.
The school systems enslaving
the young guys Wait till they
get out of there with a
$100,000 student loan for 40
years.
20 years?
That's what it's getting real.
Those guys are enslaved at ucsd
that built those two new high
rises And you can't get out
the window.
The windows just crack because
they don't want kids when they
figure out they're going to be
in debt for 150,000 and they're
gonna start making 15 bucks an
hour, they're going to jump
that a lot of the jobs.
So no bathrooms in there anyway
,let's get real now Kids going
to go to the library and
reading your book you want and
plus I'm for diversity.
We need some maga hats on
the board on the council There
aren't we Got to diversify this
democratic giant and it's going
on that it's like an
abomination to our state your
time I think that Madison if
you can please them you all
right So I'd also like to
support the important
principles in my life.
I'm 330 and protecting academic
freedom, independent research
and the ability of scientists
and universities to follow
the evidence wherever it leads
.
As the wife of a San Diego
State University professor, I
support freedom in academic
research and want
the transparency of scientific
principles to be the foundation
of how we make decisions for
our families and for our city.
I want the policies affecting
children to be based on
the best available evidence not
just on political ideology.
Public health research was
mentioned multiple times in
the staff presentation and I
spent a lot of time speaking to
this council about youth
substance use And there's a
reason that I emphasize
research when it comes to these
public health concerns.
We need researchers to be free
to study these issues honestly
and report what they find.
So I encourage the Council to
affirm the importance of
independent higher education
and scientific research and
academic freedom that can help
us make decisions.
Thank you.
Thank you, Kathleen Lippert, if
you can please you can go.
Thank you.
This is definitely one of those
good schools I'd like to share
some data And troubling
findings from Cal Matters
regarding California schools.
Although school scored big
increases in funding, their
academic performance did not
seem to merit those increases
And basically the skip basic
skills such as reading and
mathematics they measured in
state federal testing.
California schools were found
to be to compare poorly to
other states For decades
California voters were told
the solution was to spend more
money.
But the latest data found per
pupil spending was thousand
$2,000 above the national
average with local taxes and
federal spending increased to
17,000 per student And Newsom's
latest budget it would raise
the student spending 27,000
Idaho came in That came in last
in the Educational Law Center's
ranking included Blair Beckman
if you can please and you.
All right.
Thank you, Blair Beekman,
thanks a lot for the efforts on
this item.
For every idea that the current
Trump administration has, I
mean a couple of them can
actually be helpful and
interesting.
There's several others that
it's just the absolute idea of
misery.
It's really sad and you're
taking your time here to try to
work out ways to mitigate that
misery.
It'll be so good when he is
gone and we can deal with
Republican Party candidates
that are working more within,
you know, California structures
and ideas.
And I think we'll understand a
better world that way as simple
as that and give credit to, you
know, I to be honest our
Democratic Party has gone a
little off the rails and a
little large.
It's good luck how we bring
back a conversation where we're
all included and contributing
and from that place.
I think the decisions here
today are just awesome and
the only way to go or the best
way to go good luck to them has
concluded.
>> Jackson Williams Hello, I'm
Jackson Williams, a
undergraduate student at ucsd.
I'm studying political science
and I'm here to urge you to
support this resolution
condemning the Trump
administration.
As a ucsd student, I've watched
this unfold in real time as my
university is under and under
federal investigation for a
medical school admission
practices.
We've seen research funding
frozen international student
visas revoked and federal
pressure on administrators to
eliminate programs or face
financial retaliation.
This is an abstract policy that
affects my education, my
classmates and my future.
But more importantly these
attacks on the principle
the principles universities are
supposed to stand for.
That being academic freedom
the free exchange of ideas and
equal access to education.
When the federal government
uses funding as a weapon to
control what universities teach
and who they admit we all lose,
our city depends on ucsd
research and innovation and I
urge this council to pass
the resolution.
Thank you.
Thank you that I'm out of time
has concluded There are five
speakers and the keynote
additional speakers will be
taken Tony if you complete and
you Yes Can I Can I can I see a
point of order Clarity Is there
going to be can I just ask are
you going to be tuned on agenda
public comment portions today
Is there one at the 2:00
meeting as well?
>> Stay tuned Tony After this
item concludes I'll give you an
update on the meeting
management.
>> Okay.
Thank you.
Then speaking to this item I am
in support of this item but I
do feel like at a certain point
it's sort of a pointless
resolution because it's just a
condemnation and that doesn't
really do anything to actually
stop the Trump administration
from being able to do whatever
it wants.
We've seen that and we're
continuing to aid them in other
ways.
>> So it's kind of really
counterproductive.
It's kind of on paper it says
that we're opposing Trump and
that's what it looks like to
voters and we're appeasing our
constituent base but we're not
actually following through with
that with solid action that
would entities from being sued
by the federal government And
and that's reflected in our in
our public security and
surveillance policies.
Thank you for your comments.
Yes, Thank you.
Amanda, if you can please.
I'm you Yeah my city council I
mean the district seven are
huge fan of higher education I
have worked at ucsd with on
the campus with these 50
students for the last six
years.
I teach a class at a community
college and I just like
the ucsd students and I spoke
earlier last year I had two
students and I work with a
small place that had to
self-deport And I've had all
the time students are telling
me that they're getting their
grants pulled and getting
defunded and all their life's
work is you know, they're
having to adjust soon and I
really like this resolution.
I do echo Tony though that it
kind of feels like the clearing
more not necessarily for me
weapons to actually fight
the war And so my suggestions I
wrote was providing a city
funded space for collaboration
between universities for them
to discuss strategy or
providing legal funding or like
a legal hotline for them to
collaborate and figure out what
kind of weapons they have, what
think their time is good but
it's 7499 if you can please you
please proceed.
This item speaks of diversity
and of affirming the city's
commitment to protecting
academic freedom, institutional
independence, scientific
research, freedom of speech and
so on.
That all sounds good but it's a
lie.
There is no freedom of speech
in these institutions.
There's only freedom of one
point of view.
I know this from personal
experience I worked at the Salk
Institute in Milwaukee for
nearly a decade.
I had an excellent work record
and all excellent reviews But
during the George Floyd Mass
insanity I lost my job because
I dared to say that quote Good
lives matter most.
My statement wasn't out of
the blue The discussion of
George Floyd and blm was
initiated by Fox on Society
Research Fellow.
They sent a broadcast email to
all employees supporting
the blm movement implying that
George Floyd was killing
the institutional racism which
had never been proven.
That letter was followed by a
stream of one sided messages
supporting that letter.
I was the first person to
suggest a different diverse
opinion and I was fired for
that opinion.
There is no freedom of speech
in these institutions If this
Partizan Council actually cared
about real diversity of thought
and speech you'd be condemning
the Salk Institute in your own
backyard rather than making
your pathetic play on
the national stage.
>> Your time has concluded
Natalie if you can please
unmute after that Our final
speaker yesterday String by
Natalie Rushing.
So like the last gentleman just
said this is against all
humanity.
If we are not recognizing that
yet then we're in a real big
problem.
There's no Republican there's
no Democrat.
This is to get us to a new
world order a state control
like he's saying.
They push this narrative and
then if you don't agree with
it, he lost his job.
This is all by design.
One administration comes in
sets it sets us up for the next
administration, comes in,
blames them, sets us up for
more and more and more.
We aren't seeing that yet.
It's against everybody All of
education.
It's so right in our faces.
The solution is everybody stand
down, Pull your kids from
the school system.
Don't go to work at
the university.
Everybody needs to stand down.
Thank you.
And you do strain if you can
please.
And you.
Good afternoon.
I wanted to share some thoughts
regarding item 330.
They're sort of uncomfortable
for me.
While I heavily support higher
education and I'm well
acquainted by San Diego State
and ucsd and our wonderful
community college system and I
have grandchildren in all of
those schools and many other
California supportive schools
throughout California.
I am concerned about
the capacity for the diversity
of opinions to flourish on our
campuses And this does seem
like bashing Trump doesn't get
us there.
A more healthy dialog could
occur regarding what we'd like
to see first on campus Are they
really getting the full world
view?
What's going out there?
I'm concerned about the optics
of this particular proposal.
Is it in all of our best
interest to help our students
by this type of resolution?
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That concludes a comment on
this item.
>> All right.
Thank you, City Clerk I'll turn
over to my colleagues.
Please be aware of the time and
a couple of items that we need
to take care of before we break
for the lunch recess and we'll
go to council member Von
Wolpert.
>> Thank you very much.
I'm happy to make the motion to
approve this resolution and
thank you to my incredible
staff for all the work you've
done on this in MAY or MAY 30th
of 25 a headline came out
Raquel Cameras that said Trump
signed California lgbtq Plus
centers to justify big cuts to
their campuses and he named
the San Diego Community College
System in his remarks from
FEBRUARY 26th, 26, EdSource, a
national paper on education,
claimed that Trump
administration Congress leave
Hispanic serving serving
colleges confused over funding
because he wanted to cut so
much of the hsa grants that
were canceled simply because
they had the word Hispanic
serving in their name.
This is an attack on our
academic freedom.
It is attack on our students,
an attack on our way of life
here in San Diego.
Earlier this year we held a
press conference to raise
awareness of this and I was
proud to be joined at the press
conference announcing this
resolution by Ricardo Miranda,
the vice PRESIDENT Of external
affairs for Associated Students
at uc San Diego, Chancellor
Gregory Smith to the City of
Community College District, our
community college PRESIDENT And
members of the Board of
Trustees and students who are
facing the academic pressures
from our federal government on
a daily basis.
I especially want to recognize
Chancellor Smith for his
leadership When the Federal
grants supporting certain
student success initiatives
were no longer available due to
the discrimination in
the federal government, the San
Diego Community College
District stepped up and
reallocated funding to help
continue programs supporting
stem students from historically
underserved communities.
I would also like to thank and
recognize Jonathan Burgos for
being here today.
Thank you for coming down from
your son.
The admission weekend to ucla.
It's very exciting that he's
going to ucla who is
the founder and director of
first Gen scholars for your
leadership and commitment to
supporting our first generation
students throughout San Diego.
First Gen Scholars was created
specifically to address cold
exceptions college acceptance
retention and graduation among
some of San Diego's most
underserved communities.
And Jonathan, your work is
exactly why investments in
these programs matter.
As you said, they become some
of the best workforce retention
grants and agreements we can
have.
Thank you for getting the next
generation of workers ready to
serve San Diego and First Gen
scholars helped provide
guidance to the mentorships
community and described as
organization is helping first
generation low income students
navigate the incredibly complex
college admission process
financial aid and they are
ultimately go on to graduate
oftentimes without student
debt.
The federal government has
moved to eliminate funding for
several minority institution
programs which will increase
the student debt load on many,
many students here.
So this resolution sends a
clear message San Diego Values
Academic freedom, scientific
integrity, institutional
independence, free speech and
the ability of our institutions
to pursue education and
research based on expertise,
evidence and professional
standards By standing up for
higher education we are
standing up for our students,
our workforce, our economy, our
government and our democracy.
I respectfully ask for your
support for this resolution.
Thank you.
And that concludes my motion.
All right.
Thank you Council member.
Also we have a motion by
council member Vaughn Wolpert
to move the resolution.
We'll go next to council member
Whitman.
Thank you very much Council
PRESIDENT I have a lot I could
say about the Trump
administration's approach to
higher education but given
the hour I will thank Council
member Wilpert and her team for
bringing this forward and I
will second the motion.
>> All right.
Thank you, sir.
So we have a motion by council
member Von Wilpert and a second
by Council member Whitburn.
See no one else in the lights.
>> Clerk Please call the roll.
I started the voting system.
Please cast your vote That
passes unanimously 7 to 0 with
Council Member Campo and
Council member Foster Absent
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
>> As promised to one of
the public speakers, one of
the jobs of the Council
PRESIDENT Is to manage
the meeting.
So item 55 which was pulled off
the consent will be heard at 2
P.M. And we will take that item
first and we will take all of
the non agenda public comment
for those that are in chambers
right now and I believe there's
six of them and we will take
the virtual non agenda public
comment at the end of this
afternoon session.
So I want to make sure at least
four of my colleagues are
hanging tough for the six not
agenda public comments that are
actually in person and respect
the time that they have waited
to be here.
So I'm going to take a picture
with our Okay Yeah okay.
>> So let's go to non agenda
public comment for those in
person And again virtual will
be taken after the afternoon
session So business there
council PRESIDENT Perl 2.7 on
agenda public comment is an
opportunity for members of
the public to comment on items
that are not on the agenda
within the subject matter of
the City Council.
Each speaker will have two
minutes.
Jacob Lewis if you can please
come forward to the microphone
after that.
Joyce initiative you can come
to the front row as well as
Bailey Murphy allegedly Audra
Paul Krueger and Lori Saldana.
If you can all please come
forward to the front row.
Jacob, please proceed with
the two minutes.
Good afternoon, Council men and
women standing before you today
to speak of proposing amending
the 27 budget to include
the Neil Daigle Center.
There was a situation a couple
months back a few months back
where federal money is used as
a weapon and federal money was
used as a weapon over
the Father Jones organization
which included the Neil Diamond
Center.
Now this New Day Goods Center
is a resource center for
homeless folk.
It does more than folk would
ever realize for these people's
livelihoods.
Now for federal money to be
held over organization heads it
is an outrage.
I ask I ask that local leaders
you all consider amending
the 27 budget to assist
the Neil j Good Center getting
the funding it needs.
It's going to be moving
locations and it needs funding
to please consider that.
I mean if you look at
the budget and the way we're
spending money I think it could
be amended for the Neil Daigle
Center to be funded locally So
we should respect and Father
Joe should not put up with
federal money held over its
head or any other organization
nor locally should we put up
with it that federal money
should not be used as a weapon.
Federal money That's our money.
We pay federal taxes to assist
us not be used against us as a
weapon.
So I'm standing here before you
to ask to please consider
the funding of Neil Daggett
Center to amend the 27 budget
to do just that and that is for
the livelihoods of homeless
folk that need that center.
Thank you and GOD bless you
Jason, if you can please come
forward I'll add a little bit
to what he just said.
Yes, it's happening with
the Neil Good day Center And so
here we go.
Could we just look everybody
John Brady and everyone look at
where is the golden opportunity
And it's closing.
Let's not get discouraged or
give up.
Okay?
Let's look for the golden
opportunity and have a robust
conversation between all and
make that happen.
I'm actually speaking on
lifeguards So here we go.
More work needs to be done at
the state of California
government level to keep
the momentum going on changing
lifeguards to be classified as
first responder was a big thank
you to state Senator Catherine
Blake spear for her work on
this matter and for plans to
introduce a formal statutory
bill in a future legislative
session.
I encourage all of San Diegans
let's all of us rise up and
fight for this.
It doesn't look like it's going
to be a fight.
It's got really good momentum.
Well it's got legs so I
encourage all San Diego to do
whatever you can to back our
lifeguards on this change
Lifeguards do respond first and
by doing so they guard life
love all lifeguards and they're
coming forward with their power
And I'm so happy for that.
So it's been a great, great day
already.
So thank you everybody.
I just loved it.
Love to all Bailey Murphy.
Bailey Murphy, are you here?
Allegedly.
Audra, please come forward real
quick.
Can I call a point of order
about what you said about
the Brown Act That's actually
not true.
It was the reverse with
committees You didn't have to
put it and allow people to
speak but now you actually do
Anyway, Thanks.
I just thought that was
interesting.
Why would they do that?
I need you guys to go further
than your You guys hate Trump.
Let's keep going to understand
the people above Trump Right?
I'm talking these bankers like
I don't understand why you guys
focus on Trump.
He's a puppet.
You guys realize that, right?
Every PRESIDENT Is they all
pick them.
It's not by chance that these
things happen But I think that
you guys need to be concerned
about all of these the ones
above like I'm talking
Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Jp
Morgan, all of these banking
entities that you guys engage
in and we're giving all our
data to them And this is I'm
talking in the echelons of
the Epstein own cia Mossad
operation that you guys should
be concerned about because
these people are taking data of
our children and they do very
nefarious things to children.
I don't I'm sure you guys don't
want to look into the Epstein
files but it's pretty
disturbing What is taking place
and how there is no
accountability.
That is why Epstein's not dead.
The operation is still in full
flux and that's why it should
concern you guys that we're
actually getting bed with
Israel which was created in
1948 by the Rothschilds.
It is not the GOD Israel of
the Bible, it is the synagogue
of Satan.
And it is very disturbing that
these people do satanic rituals
on children and other human
beings And it's like and we're
giving them our data through
this surveillance And so it's
like you guys concentrate on
Trump But I don't understand
why you can't go further than
that, especially those of you
that have children because I'm
talking they eat the intestines
of babies when it has curdled
milk in it and put it on bagels
Your time is concluded Paul
Krueger I don't call Krueger
here.
Laurie Saldana if you can
please come forward.
>> Laurie Saldana Yeah because
I hear left okay I will just
say regarding the Brown Act
there is the law and then there
is what makes sense and what's
right And if you're dealing
with millions of dollars in
investments and not giving us
reports it's it's not really
right.
Case in point a civil engineer
just recently noted that
shortcuts around major
infrastructure are not a good
idea under the star that
represents the Midway area is a
96 inch sewage line that a
contract was awarded or
exclusive negotiation rights
was awarded to a company and
that 96 inch sewer line was not
properly identified.
So shortcuts don't make sense
including the Midway Project.
Next slide please.
The Midway Project You know
yesterday we were speaking
about it despite your best
efforts to block it.
>> But the fact is we have sea
level rise.
>> Pardon the noise.
This is happening during high
tide.
Not storm high tides Not only
new high tides just regular old
high tides and if you're going
to build in the coastal
communities you need innovative
ways to do so without sediment
Threaten the public safety
going forward.
Next slide please I think is
the Blasio effect and you've
seen this before but I know as
somebody who has taught tech
and information technology for
many years you have to repeat
things to people for them to
get the message.
So when the storm water is
coming up that is our
stormwater system being
overwhelmed.
I call that the Bellagio effect
because the storm water
department welded those in
place to prevent them from
rising up from the storm water
and cause a tripping hazard.
So now we have jets and
fountains of water representing
just how powerful the sea does
not respond to legislation.
It is coming after us and it is
coming after what we build in
the coastal zone.
So you MAY have repealed
Measure c but I think
the intent of the state
legislature is to still build
in an area that even civil
engineers agree is a shortcut.
>> Midway area is sinking.
Please don't build there.
>> Thank you.
That does include knowledge in
a public comment hearing
Council chambers All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk And just to repeat
we will take the virtual non
agenda public comment at
the end.
At the end of our afternoon
session and we will also take
item 55 which was pulled from
the consent agenda First up at
2 P.M. When we reconvene.
So we will now adjourn for
the noon recess and reconvene
in open session at 2 P.M. Or
shortly thereafter.
Following
and
All right, good afternoon.
>> I will now reconvene
the City Council meeting of
Tuesday, AUGUST 25th 2026.
Clerk Please.
Clerk Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell Council Member
Whitburn here Council Member
Foster You're Council Member
Ron Wilpert Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee Council Member Can
you hear Council Member Moreno
present Council member Eli
Rivera and Council PRESIDENT
LaCava present Also attend
the meeting Our Assistant City
Attorney Lizzie Fitzgerald
Independent Budget Analyst
Charles Monica Council Affairs
Advisor in the Mayor's office
Curtis Iser and myself your
city clerk Diana Fuentes Thank
you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
City Clerk We will start this
afternoon with item 55 Paul
from the consent agenda this
morning and then trailed to
this afternoon Before I ask
the city clerk to introduce
item 55 Councilmember Moreno,
would you like to make a
statement?
>> Thank you.
I'm recusing myself from an
agenda item 55 Southwest
Village Specific plan Project
number pr Jade Dash 0614279.
I have a conflict of interest
because the project will have a
material financial interest on
residential property that I
own.
I will leave the status and not
participate in the discussion
or vote.
All right, Thank you council
member and only for you to
leave Chambers And with that
clerk please introduce item 55.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Item 55 is a Southwest Village
specific plan Project number
prj0614791 If you'd like to
speak on this item please
submit a speaker slip now or
raise your hand by pressing
pressing star nine or the raise
your hand icon There will be
one minute per person.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
As noted this item was
originally heard by the full
council with robust public
participation on JULY 6th of
this year During the items
first reading the item in front
of the city is a second reading
required under our municipal
code.
So I will be waiving today's
presentation unless any of my
colleagues object not seeing
any.
>> So with that clerk please
proceed with public comment
Allegedly.
Andrew if you can please come
up to the microphone after that
will be joining item And then
we do have two people Alan
Kershaw and Elizabeth Hanson
here that would like to
register their position in
favor but do not wish to speak.
Please proceed.
>> Yes, I think you guys need
to recuse yourself or sometimes
Henry when you guys are going
to be profiting off of projects
school Yes, this is interesting
because you guys have a lawsuit
about this and and so it'll be
interesting to see what happens
with that And it's confusing
when you say this is going to
be a complete community and it
seems contradictory to your
plan when it's not really near
anything.
It's in the middle of nowhere,
right?
I mean if we build it they will
come right eventually people
will have public transit and it
will be a complete community.
But there's another concern is
try point homes is got a
consistent pattern of
workmanship and structural
issues.
They have warranty denials and
different things like that and
they have also completely sold
their properties to investors.
So I'm wondering if you have
anything in place to make sure
that this property isn't going
to be sold to an investor and
not really be affordable at
some point.
Jason Yard if you can please
come forward.
>> Thank you so much.
I really struggled with saying
these words but I did fill out
a slip that said in opposition
Yet let me clarify that a bit.
How do you say yes to the good
the bad and the ugly?
No, that's pretty strong.
And I want to tell you
the honesty about that.
I need to go back and become a
child in the community area and
find out what it means to learn
to be an underserved community,
to be somebody that strives for
these beautiful projects.
I'm looking at it from such a
superficial surface I don't
like I don't want you to vote
yes on some item.
See I don't like that road
Bridge Street going over
the Parkland.
That's my first No, no.
So Audra said some very good
points and so I only have a
minute so I'll leave this up to
you.
I hope you agree to speak a
little bit on it.
Thank you for that concluding
remark Going to those
participating remotely I'm
sorry the five minute timer if
Blair McQueen please on mute.
>> All right.
Thank you.
>> Where we going?
Yeah.
Good public comment previously
thank you as this project was
debated about JULY 6th I
thought it was the intention to
be slowly working and
developing ideas.
I don't I didn't feel it was
like going into things full
bore but just a continued
development and understanding
and a process of learning
rather than everything is going
to be now completed And this is
what we're doing.
There has to be a lot more give
and take and dialog to figure
things out with this item it
seems like and that was what
was presented at JULY 6th and I
wish that more responsible
position was more talked about.
That's how we talk about this
project and it was mentioned by
the previous public speakers.
A lot of additional things need
to be addressed.
You're being sued because
things aren't being better
addressed.
Just please are you going slow
with this project or not
Quickly I think that's an
important first step.
>> Thank you.
Thank you Natalie If you can
please unmute.
Hi Natalie.
I didn't get to make it to
the JULY sixth meeting so
trying to be caught up on this
information for my
understanding this is a company
that's based out of Japan.
If that is true, why are we
winning Japanese?
Japan come in right.
That's a lot of makers.
Second of all for my
understanding it's going to go
over some crummy historical
property.
I'm not sure if they were
contacted what they're their
opinion was about it.
I couldn't find that
information and all
the research that I do and it
is hard to understand
the language that's being used
when it feels are happening So
I'll save the rest for public
comment.
Thank you.
Thank you Tony.
If you can please unmute.
Yes, I just wanted to support
some of the comments that were
sent earlier and I wanted to
thank Vivian Moreno for
recusing herself.
She did so a couple of weeks
ago as well for another issue
and I thought it's a very
classy, respectable move.
So I very much appreciate that
I'm going to register a neutral
position on this item just
because I don't know enough
about it to have a strong
opinion one way or the other.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on this item.
All right.
Thank you city clerks.
I'll turn over to my colleagues
to have any questions, comments
and entertain a motion.
I will start with Councilmember
Taylor regarding a motion by
COUNCILMAN Real Rivera to move
the staff recommendation I can
I get a second and
Councilmember Whipper All
right.
>> Okay.
Anybody else?
No lights We do have a motion
by Councilmember Eli Rivera and
a second by Councilmember
Lippert to move a staff
recommendation.
Clerk Please call the roll.
I'm sorry The voting system
Please cast your vote That
passes 5 to 2 with
Councilmember Moreno recusing
and Councilmember Campbell
absent.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you And thank you to
staff for making yourself
available for this hearing on
consent item.
So with that the clerk please
introduce item 331 Item 331 is
the performance audit of City
of the city's management of its
lease golf property portfolio.
This is an informational item
It will be two minutes per
person for comment on this item
If you are here please be sure
to submit your speakers up to
the front of the room or if
you're participating remotely
now's the time to raise your
hand by pressing Star nine or
the raise your hand icon.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you for using the item I
see staff of settling in so if
you could when you're ready
introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need for your
presentation.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT The other
council members Andino City
Auditor And we're here to
present our performance audit
of the city's lease to golf
property portfolio and can we
have about 12 minutes please?
All right.
Start when you're ready.
Thank you.
As we get started, I want to
thank the Economic Development
Department, the Parks and
Recreation department golf
division and the Office of
the City Treasurer for all
the assistance and perspective
they provided our team on this
audit.
First to give you an overview
of our presentation today our
audit had two findings.
Number one the city should
collect and report performance
data and lease information for
its leased golf courses to
assess lessee performance and
maximize city revenue and
public benefit.
For example, we found a lease
contained an opportunity to
increase revenue from a country
club The city owns and has
taken action on this which
we'll discuss later in our
presentation.
And number two, a lack of
regular site inspections and
ongoing holdovers.
But this put the city's leased
golf course properties at risk
of property deterioration,
reduced public benefit and lost
financial value.
We made seven recommendations
all of which Eadie agreed to
implement and as noted in
the management response epd
stated they recognize the value
in enhancing performance
monitoring, reporting and
inspections of golf course
properties and has also has
already taken several steps
towards implementing
the recommendations and will
highlight the steps taken in
the presentation as well.
With me here today is is
Assistant City Auditor Matt
Helm and performance under
Kayla Edwards also want to
recognize principal performance
outdoor Megan Jaffer who is
the manager on this project but
could not be here today So I'll
turn it over to Matt and Kayla
to go over the details of what
we found and recommended as
well as the steps taken since
the audit.
>> Great.
Thanks and good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Members of
Council I'm Matthew Home
Assistant City Auditor.
Just to add to things I did
want to give a special
recognition to John Howard and
his team in the Parks and Rec
Golf division.
We do have golf experts in
the city.
John is one of them.
He kind of gave us the golf
course Management for Dummies
tutorial and his assistance was
really valuable throughout.
So the reason I bring that up
is because leveraging our
in-house expertise is sort of
part and parcel of some of
the findings and
recommendations that you'll
hear in just a moment here.
So largely due to the amount of
revenue public interface and
the overall value at risk given
the property sizes throughout
the city.
Golf routinely scores high on
our annual risk assessment this
year so sorry.
We previously conducted an
audit of the city operated golf
courses in 2015.
I'm pleased to note that
the Golf division has
implemented all of those
recommendations.
But for this particular audit
we focus on the other a
substantial portion of
the city's golf portfolio
specifically those courses
owned by the city but operated
by the city golf course leases
bring in a significant amount
of revenue for the city
approximately 3.7 million in
2020 for which are which is
the end of our school period.
And generally our objective was
to ensure that the city is
maximizing the value and
the public benefit of its
leased golf property portfolio.
The specific parts of
the objectives are list on that
slide but I won't read those
through for you just by way of
background and to provide some
context on there's a lot on
the slide but I'll try to
summarize.
So the city owns 11 golf
courses, right?
Three are the ones you know of
probably Torrey Pines mission
Bay and Balboa Park and those
are like as I said previously
operated by the Parks and
Recreation Department by
the Golf division.
Revenues from these courses go
to the Golf Enterprise Fund
which supports their operations
and the city knows well that
these revenues have proved
valuable in our budget process
this year over the remaining
eight courses or at least by or
at least a third party
operators.
So four courses are owned by
the Public utilities
department.
These revenues go to the water
fund helping offset repair
water bills for example And
calendar year 24 of the lease
courses generated 2.1 million
for the water fund.
Four of the other courses are
owned by the parks and recs
department and those revenues
go to the city's general fund
in calendar 24 of these courses
generated about 1.6 million for
the city's general fund In
general Eadie is responsible
for managing the golf course
the least golf course
portfolio.
So although our audit focused
on the city's leased golf
courses as I said earlier, we
did rely on the city operated
courses as points of comparison
and solicited their expertise
throughout the engagement.
So let me get into the findings
here and finding one.
We found that the city's golf
courses are valuable properties
that bring in over 3.3 million
a year.
However, the lease agreements
do not include the standard
performance reporting
requirements and the city does
not require does not report
lease terms or performance of
the leased golf courses
publicly through any mechanism
such as the real estate
portfolio management plan or
the golf business plan update.
So it's not consolidated in one
place.
This means that city management
,the city council and
the public aren't aware of how
the city's leased golf courses
are performing and whether
there are opportunities to
increase revenue, for example,
or increase the public benefit.
And in fact some stakeholders
MAY not even be aware that we
own a live of courses I didn't
prior to starting this
engagement and just by way of
benchmarking we really did do
our level best to try to focus
apples to apples because
there's a lot out there in
the space But the what shown on
the slide we think is a
reasonable comparison.
Other jurisdictions golf
courses have performance
reporting requirements and
the golf division our own golf
division collects and publicly
reports performance on city
operated golf courses.
Public reporting increases
transparency and accountability
Help can help drive
improvements.
This approach has worked well
for city operated courses.
For example, at the time of our
previous audit of the city
system, Torrey Pines was
subsidizing the other two
course systems.
But that situation has changed.
Those courses are self
sustaining and a lot of that
has to do with the strategic
management the golf division
has executed and that is that
effort has been informed by
various performance analytics.
So performance and lease term
reporting is essential for
spotting trends and revenue
opportunities as shown in
the graphic on the slide we
found that the financial return
to the city very significantly
across Les's.
There's lots of reasons for
that.
Those leases were negotiated at
different points in time.
They have different provisions
in that in and of itself makes
sense.
However higher revenues for
lessees don't always mean
higher returns for the city and
rent The percentage of total
revenue that lessees paid to
the city varies widely ranging
from 1% to 25%.
That would be a percentage of
that operator's revenues right
for that property.
On the next slide we'll show
you some examples of how those
data can benefit the management
of this valuable portfolio So
performance reporting can help
the city identify and quickly
pursue opportunities to
increase city share of revenue
and adjust lease terms when
it's appropriate to do so which
is shown on this slide.
So in the report we highlighted
the Fairbanks Ranch Country
Club which earns about 17 at
the time of the audit earned
about 17 million in revenue
about 8 million in expenses
annually but pays the city
864,000 rent.
This is largely due to that to
the terms of the lease that
were amended in 2016 for
Fairbanks and it's structured
in a way that results in
the operator only paying 5% of
its gross revenues as shown on
the slide.
Another lease course by way of
comparison is mission trails
that make significantly less
than overall revenue pays more
in rent and about 22% of its
gross revenue.
So that's 22% versus the 5% for
the one shown on the slide In
reviewing the Fairbanks lease
at the time of this audit we
did note there was a provision
in the lease that the city
could notify the operator of an
intent to reappraise and
provided a potential for them
to adjust the ramp.
We discussed that with Ed and
they did take action on that.
So as noted in the report we
indicated that if
the percentage rents were set
at 20% which again is similar
to what is paid in mission
trails and for example
technology we estimate the city
could gain approximately 2.5
million more for the general
fund annually.
There was a hypothetical at
the time based on what
the rates that that the other
courses were paying.
So we'll discuss that a little
bit more.
Kelly can go to the next slide.
So performance reporting can
also help identify
under-performance and improve
transparency.
So again thanks to John Howard
and his team for kind of
explaining how certain
performance indicators can help
assess these types of things.
On this slide you see for
example Galena Park and
Presidio Hills are similar in
size but cleaner had three
times the rounds played in
2025.
We don't make any judgment.
There could be reasons for that
but it's the type of data that
would help inform at least a
line of inquiry into why that
might be The rounds it rounds
data where consistently
reported the city could
identify underperforming
courses and inquire to
determine potential underlying
classes causes.
Sorry So why are performance
measures important?
It's not just data for data
sake.
I know you know auditors like
that kind of stuff but in in
the case of golf it really does
matter.
So collecting and analyzing
performance information could
also be used by city management
and policymakers to determine
the highest and best use of
these golf properties.
Assess whether the public is
receiving fair value and verify
the accuracy of revenues
reported by lessees as shown on
the exhibit.
On this slide we found that
city revenue per acre varies
widely across city operated and
lessee operated golf courses
for its three city operated
courses As the ones you all
know at Mission Bay Torrey
Pines Balboa City received an
average of 9097 per acre By
comparison its eight least
courses average revenue of
about 4736 Without performance
reporting the public and
policymakers do not have
information about what drives
these differences whether it's
lease terms, course conditions
or other operator performance.
The next slide Kenneth.
So we made it through this
finding finding one We made six
recommendations To Ed's credit
they they agreed and it was
the type of agreement where
they didn't write agree and
then write, you know, an
explanation about why they
actually disagreed.
They actually wrote a good
response to all of these.
We recommended that Eadie
should work with the golf
division to ensure new leases
include performance reporting
requirements and ebd has
indicated to us that this
included performance
requirements in its new golf
course lease agreements that
are currently under
negotiation.
I know we haven't verified this
this would be part of our
normal recommendation follow up
so we will follow up per our
normal process.
We also recommended that
the golf division and eads
should report leased golf
performance information in
the annual golf business plan
update That's an existing
report that covers the cities
and the city operated courses.
Our recommendation was is that
we make everything together and
include all of the golf golf
courses in there for all
the comparative reasons that I
just previously indicated and
that a cost reimbursement
mechanism for the golf fund
should be established for work
performed for the least
courses.
So to the extent that they're
utilizing John in his team
there should be some mechanism
for them to be compensated for
that But that's not currently
part of their portfolio.
Our understanding is that
the mechanism for so doing is
in process and as I said we
will verify that as part of our
normal process.
Just to continue on here we
also recommended that edc
conduct an appraisal and of
the Fairbanks Ranch Country
Club specifically and adjust
the rent as appropriate and as
allowed by the 2016 lease Since
the time of the audit is
conducted in appraisal and
adjusted percentage rents,
however the estimated
the estimated percentage rent
adjustment that will result in
the lessee paying about 7%
above.
So it's currently five so we'll
be paying 7% Now that's
the again not included in
the report but that's
information that we have most
currently.
i'll now turn it over to
the present.
I apologize We're over on time
a little bit but I'll now turn
over to Kayla to wrap this up
and be briefer than I was.
>> Thanks.
Thanks Matt.
For a second finding we found
that it has a goal to inspect
all properties in the city's
real estate portfolio annually
however inspects the city's
eight leased golf course
properties at an average
interval of 3.4 years.
>> The value of golf courses
degrades rapidly relative to
other property types.
If they're not properly
maintained, poor maintenance
can lead to higher repair
costs, weaken the city's
position in lease negotiations
and reduce both playability and
revenue Potential consistent
inspections help ensure
operators continue investing in
and maintaining the courses
including when leases are in
hold over.
It uses a general inspection
form for all city leased
properties including its golf
courses.
However, working with the Golf
division on inspections will
help ensure golf specific
property conditions are
properly assessed.
>> At the time of the audit
the city had four golf course
leases in holdover These leases
are listed here on this slide
with notably one being in
Boulder where for 11 years one
of our recommendation is to
report on the lease terms
specifically lease expiration
dates So this will provide more
visibility into when leases are
expiring.
Renewing leases before they
expire allows the city to
adjust the rent to receive
current fair market value.
>> We made one recommendation
in findings You and edt should
work with the golf division to
inspect the city's leased golf
course properties at least
annually and report on their
conditions in the annual golf
business plan update Eddy is
working with the Golf division
to fully implement this
recommendation Management
agreed to implement all seven
of our recommendations and with
that this concludes our
presentation of this
informational item and we are
available for any questions you
MAY have.
>> All right.
Thank you for the work and
thank you for the presentation
this afternoon with that clerk
Please proceed with public
comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Allegedly.
Audrey, if you can please come
up to the microphone after that
will be Joyce Senator and then
Laurie Saldana if you can
please come up to the front row
.
You'll have two minutes.
I'm going to share something
real quick and I don't care if
you start me but I just was
giving my lunch to a homeless
man on the way back and he gave
me this necklace and I thought
it was really special because I
want him to pick it And he did
.
The one I picked wasn't like
this but I just thought, you
know, always makes a difference
when you do something good
because I was still hungry but
I wanted him to eat because I
can still get food Anyway, this
is interesting because it's
like you guys hate Trump.
His name was Ricardo by
the way, which is Richard was
great.
He's just over by the trolley.
But this is interesting because
it's like we are talking about
No, I just lost my train of
thought Oh my gosh The with
the golf funds it's like you
guys are sitting here and
saying that you don't like
Trump.
I'm wondering if you're I mean
he uses these golf courses So
are you guys going to stop him
from doing that at some point?
No, because you want his money,
right?
I know it's good And I feel
like if you guys can't I mean
poor maintenance it's like
these are opportunities to make
money off of people who and
this is hard because I don't
really like you guys making
money because I can't trust you
when you make the money.
So it's like I don't know that
I want to give you ideas on how
to make it because you're not
good stewards of it And that's
the unfortunate thing is like
you know the way that you guys
do business isn't what's
beneficial for the people but
it's more what's beneficial for
the pockets of others And I
just feel like when you guys
could make money that would
benefit us that would you know
you that you could spend on
things that we're going to you
know, improve our communities
then it's like absolutely But
again like I feel like I just
don't even want to tell you how
to make more money with this
because I just can't trust you
with it And that's unfortunate.
I wish you guys were, you know,
doing what you were there to do
and not the opposite.
>> But this is an inverted
world and we're in scenes
playground so hey, that's what
you get an incentive.
Joyce Anybody if you can please
come forward.
Thank you, Audra It was a
beautiful example.
We needed to hear that.
You know, folks, I really work
hard for us these kind of items
make We want to go home, pack
up a picnic lunch, go have a
picnic in a park and count
butterflies.
These kind of reports should
not be heard ever.
Why haven't we cleaned this up
?
Why does this continue to come
out from our beautiful other
department?
I've been doing this for years.
>> You asked former Chair
Falconer.
I cannot believe that we
continue Fairbanks example Is
that shocking or what?
>> Joy, I'm going to pause you.
We're going to save your time
and give you a chance to start
over.
We've lost audio so we have to
pause the meeting until we can
fix the city tv So sorry you're
right in the middle but we're
required to kind of interrupt
the meeting.
>> What you're saying I have to
completely stop.
>> Completely stop.
Look at the screen.
>> We've lost the doors empty.
I did it online.
>> So the zoom feed is We will
start your clock.
You'll have a chance to start
from the beginning But we're
pausing the meeting until we
can get it fixed.
You know my hearing goes in and
out some time.
Do you want me to continue now
You have to stop and we'll let
you know because you want me to
sit.
Yeah, but bigger idea similar
to that.
No, no, no, no, no
.
And thank you for your
patience.
We are back online.
>> Okay.
We are ready for you, Joy.
Yeah, we'll start We'll give
you the full two minutes That
didn't feel good.
Okay.
I have no idea where I was.
But anyway, I know I started
with the butterflies and
the picnic and I'm still there.
Maybe that's what I'll do
tomorrow.
>> I need to talk with Panda
Bear.
What?
And I need to find out what's
happening.
What The key performance
indicators.
They're not happening.
I'm going to have order
droughts Going to be nice
enough to come up.
>> We're still here.
So they're still fixing it,
huh?
They're still fixing it.
I thought you told me to come
up with They did, but it's
okay.
Let's go.
>> So let her know that we're
talking about Right.
We're breaking.
No, I know, darling.
I know.
Let's go.
You know You know what?
And then you start over.
No, you just stay right here.
Good.
Okay.
Automakers you notice about
the got the audit and the golf
course These you're not
recording it but you people do
have ears and you can listen to
us So I know what's happening
But I want you to know that
this is order right here So I'm
sorry I missed and yada because
of the Brown Act and the way it
is the council cannot proceed
with the meeting If the Zoom is
not in place due to sb 707
which is why they need to pause
people when the people at home
need to hear you as well until
they go back online because
otherwise they can't hear it so
they'll let us know.
Yeah it went out again can
still see like you can see that
they Yeah I can hear me get
the money or they can but they
can't proceed because open to
the public and right now get
these Are you still on Twitter
I kicked everyone out right
they try going back in I want
to become the host Yeah And it
was on such a roll.
Yeah yeah, yeah And time I'm
okay.
We Oh yeah I'm on We can walk
up and know if city tv can call
me confirm that they're getting
video from the chambers Okay
okay
.
Thank you for your patience
Again the meeting has been
restored.
All right.
For those listening in, we did
lose the Zoom connection.
We did pause the meeting once
we learned of that and now
we're going to resume
the meeting So Audra, you think
she's ready to okay.
>> So butterflies and picnics
are looking much better as
the moment goes on.
Just want to let you know that
So this is stuck at two or
what's going on here?
Let it be.
Thank you.
So all right.
I said the butterfly thing
Panda bear Panda bear Panda
performance and Alex know that
I love them and that I respect
them and that their work is
enormously important And I.
I have still have a love affair
with get it done yet something
is happening that's not good
with the KPIs and I don't think
he used kpi when the audit
report was done I think he use
performance something or other
.
I don't think he even said
performance indicators But you
said performance in that as
everyone knows after what you
just said the performance was
ugly and we just swept under
the carpet and let it happen.
So this seems to be a
reoccurring thing that happens
at city council where we I
don't know if we sweep it under
the carpet, maybe we don't lift
the carpet up and look and see
what's there.
i don't think we're the ones
that sweep it but it's there.
It's been carried on or what So
thank you all That department I
think what you did is fabulous
.
What you continue to do is
fabulous.
I wish you could overlay
the basic process that you do
for us and tell us what really
is happening that would help us
straighten out the structural
budget deficit and get a handle
on that And that would keep us
from going to these dark places
and seeing things that are
really happening that hurt our
our citizens.
>> Thank you very much.
Peggy Walker, can you hear me?
Can you unmute Oh wait.
Oh, Lori Saldana my apologies.
No, no, no.
This reminds me of the saying
It is a truth universally
acknowledged that a city in
possession of a good climate
and a tourism based economy is
in need of golf courses.
Everyone knows that.
And so the fact that we are
subsidizing the wealthiest
players of golf in the city of
San Diego is just shocking.
I'm shocked.
How many golf courses do we
have south of the 94 or
the communities in the south
area of San Diego?
I'm just curious how many golf
courses do we have for
the communities that we
continue to refer to as
under-resourced?
And here we have the most
resourced community with
the highest per capita income
per zip code I think in
the country paying the least to
golf.
Thank you for doing this
report.
You cannot improve I say this
so often to this council you
cannot improve what you don't
measure.
We are not measuring now we
will begin to measure golf
courses and how much we're
generating in revenue to
the city of San Diego.
So congratulations on achieving
that.
I think we need to look even
though I mentioned we have a
good climate and a tourism
based economy there are things
that are working against that
like climate change and
increased heat and the need to
supplement golf courses because
we don't get as much rain So
they need more water and water
is more expensive And how many
golf courses can we really keep
going forward within the budget
constraints as the climate
changes?
But most importantly how many
golf courses can we continue to
subsidize while other
communities have and we're out
right we're offline again is no
it this is it still we're
fixing some audio.
It's going in and out But
the zoom is still going.
Oh, okay.
So the question for San Diego
is really how much money do we
want to use to subsidize
the wealthiest people not just
in our region but in
the country per capita income
versus how much do we want to
make available for youth
opportunities to play golf, to
learn golf which is a social
activity that many people don't
learn unless they have some
early education and
opportunities.
So thank you for doing this
study.
>> Okay, so video seems to be
working.
The audio is kind of touch and
go So they're going to do a
full reboot reboot And so if
you're listening we are pausing
the council meeting for this
reboot
.
>> It's
a test test test 12342 quick
staff if you can let me know in
the chat if you can hear me and
test test 123 city quick staff
and you can let me know in
the chat if you can hear me for
an eventful day And we have
audio and video backup.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
The public and the council
members for your patience with
technology.
All right.
As a reminder again the council
fees doing business while we
resolve those technical issues
and I believe we're on public
comment Any more public comment
in person?
Are we now going to go to
virtual virtual virtual?
Okay.
Thank you.
I'm sorry the five minute timer
to those participating online.
So Taylor, if you can please
unmute and let me and proceed
with your public comment for
item 331.
Right.
Can you hear me?
Yes we can.
Okay.
Yeah.
Okay.
That was exciting.
My name's Sue Taylor and I used
to work for the city of San
Diego in the real State
Department so I'm kind of
familiar with these golf
courses.
I actually live down video
Anyway, just two things One,
the Carlton Oaks Golf course.
The city hasn't owned the whole
thing so it can't really be
treated as the same as all
the courses They only owned
like nine holes of that golf
course and the pro shop and
everything is on the private
property So you have to take
that in consideration.
Also the then golf course is
kind of like see this can do
those municipal course and they
run it with an operator and we
own like 50% of the land.
They're not the whole thing
either.
So I just want to point out
those two are not the same as
all the others.
>> That's it.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Hector, if you can please
unmute I hope you guys can keep
this Hector He didn't cut off
on the zoom but that condition
Yes.
>> We can't Please proceed.
Well, Fairbanks ranch is
planned.
You know there are a bunch of
attorneys there We get
the backroom deal through Todd
or maybe the last mayor Those
guys are attorneys are playing
big time.
The Olympics was played there
in 84.
I was there.
The event was on the course.
That's a high golf course.
You should triple the rent on
them.
You know, just do it by triple
it but don't do it by how much
revenue they have because
they're scamming the revenue.
They can make it seem like
they're losing money and
they're not They're attorneys
Accountants triple the rent.
Just don't do it by revenue
whatever it is now triple it
and they'll be saying how hard
you closed down the bathrooms
and they probably owe you $1
million a year for like ten
years they've been playing.
Yeah.
You know these guys are not pay
top dollar played golf They're
not ignorant They know they
don't want it They don't want
to rock the boat man But it
could be the golf gods or
the golf gods are intervening
on all these low budget things
You have.
I believe in GOD and I also
believe in the golf gods.
He might be protecting
the golfers because you guys
are so naive.
This is like huge money you
walking away from four years,
two years, six years You don't
know how to do it.
I don't know what it's worth.
That's just that's just it's
either stupid or it's naive And
I know when you guys shut down
the bathrooms I know the guys
that clean the bathrooms
they're in Mission Beach and
they didn't get fired.
They just didn't have to clean
so many bathrooms.
So you're saving $500,000 a
year doing that you don't have
It's all just toilet paper and
cleaning up from the homeless
guys That's concluded Next is
Barbara Gordon if you can
please I'm you Barbara Gordon
Academy Before you I will have
to go on to the next caller If
you can't fix your technical
difficulties.
Barbara Gordon 7499 if you can
please a new Bob because this
year I agree with the earlier
caller that many leases lessees
are likely underreporting their
income.
As I mentioned many many times
a great portion of the city's
wealth is in the extensive real
estate holdings by the city of
San Diego.
Yet the real estate assets
department or whatever you call
them now has done an abysmal
job of managing those assets
for the public.
Our public land should be
operated for the benefit of
the public.
Yet this city leases those
lands to private businesses and
organizations without any
meaningful accountability
reporting or oversight.
Is it any surprise that
business is leasing our public
lands and take advantage of
the city's incompetent
oversight?
How many times since 2007, 20
years ago have you heard me
asking for better oversight of
our public lands such as
the Torrey Pines Glider for how
many times?
Joe LaCava I see the remainder
of my two minutes for Joe
LaCava to formulate an answer
for us Otherwise please
consider the ensuing silence as
a rhetorical portion of my
speech.
Thank you
.
>> Next week goes where Beekman
the five minute timer did
conclude there are three
speakers in the queue and
additional speakers will be
taken.
>> Blair Beekman Hi Blair
Beekman.
Thank you that you fixed
the zoom issue with this item
to ask.
It's my understanding with
the new California state rules
about Zoom use that came in
JULY 1st doesn't didn't they
say that you have to allow for
one hour to work on Zoom issues
if there are problems and after
one hour then you can call
the meeting or go on as without
the zoom.
I think that's the official
rulebook that you guys better
review if this happens again.
Thank you.
You fixed it though.
Thank you greatly And my my
simple ask at this time with
this item I really hope that
goldfish who's San Saturday had
this sort of issue previously
when I was living there.
I hope that you can be resolved
that can serve that there can
be a way to make money off golf
courses yet still want to
promote golfing for everyone.
And is there a way that for
instance a race can be for
people of lower income that
they can get discounted rates
compared to people who can
afford to pay a bit more and
that's one option to help.
I think the option of golf
being available shouldn't be
none of it not available to
lower income people.
i think it can be a it's a
really meditative sport if you
think about it and it can be a
really good form of exercise
and thought it should be
available to to all levels of
income.
Good luck how to do that And I
still think there can be ways
that money can be made for
the city from the golf course.
Good luck on working on that
and figuring that out with that
can be I, I guess with that
thank you for your time.
>> Natalie rush to complete on
you and then back you up as our
final speaker.
I was a little lost because I
think that my daughter got my
stuff and so I'm not quite sure
I lost my train of thought on
the subject On item 331
the performance audit.
Sorry I lost my train of
thought.
I'm multitasking and all these
golf courses I'm I'm just
confused on a lot of things
that we do as business and
where the money goes and what
we're doing and revenue Is it
revenue or is it getting put
back for the public?
I mean just the word language
revenue for whom It's a lot.
It's a lot what we're dealing
with listening to these kids
I'm sorry what they come and
get there Oh my gosh I'm got
their slideshow and audits and
we have people that are staff I
mean on the golf course this
revenue feeding people or
housing people or helping with
mental disabilities I mean it's
just all crazy to me.
I'll leave the rest for my
public not to comment.
Thank you Becky.
You wrap if you can please
unmute.
>> Yes, good afternoon.
My name is Becky Rapp and I
appreciate this audit report.
It is as it is crucial that
places are held accountable and
that they are operating above
the line.
We need to consider
the priorities of our city as
we are in this budget deficit
holding leases accountable
should be of the utmost
priority In my community we are
facing our community rec center
and pool closing at the end of
this month for four months not
just cutting hours but
completely closing down for
four months Yet we have pot
shops and tobacco stores that
we have still yet to not been
able to have a detailed audit
telling us if they're even
paying their taxes.
These are things that need to
be considered and they need to
be made a priority as basic
necessities of our city Are are
are suffering and put being put
last.
Thank you.
And then Judy Strang, if you
can please unmute Judy Strain
Oh Oh thank you.
A mute button just barely came
up.
Thank you for working out
the tech problems.
That's always a little
frustrating at our end As
watchers I can only guess that
I'm quite well acquainted with
the Fairbanks Golf course and
yes how it was described to you
as being a losing proposition
for the city is so true.
That's that's the first place
to start and I'm reluctant to
say it out loud since I know
people who play there and I
feel a little bit traitorous.
But yeah, the city got
the wrong end of that stick
when I really called in about
was my concern for
the mitigation opportunity for
students.
We have several grandsons who
are in high school and like to
play in our golf courses and
some of the golf courses have
allowed for that.
Others haven't And it would be
nice if the policy was
consistent across all of
the golf courses.
But certainly something has to
be built here and we have high
school golf now It has just
grown in popularity and some of
our local colleges not
the least of which is San Diego
State has a well-respected golf
team.
So you're going to see more and
more high school students
coming through that will want
access to our public courses.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That does conclude from a
comment on the title.
All right.
Thank you, city Clerk and thank
you for you and the team idea
and city 24 and anybody else
who weighed into the result
those problems And again as a
reminder when we were offline
we were not conducting any
business here in chambers.
So with that I'll turn it over
to my council colleagues for
questions Comments This is an
information item No motion is
required and we'll start with
the chair of the audit
committee council member Marino
Thank you and thank you for
the presentation And I want to
once again thank the City
auditor and the whole team for
the work that they're putting
that they put into this report
and others as well stated
the city owns a golf courses
which totals about 868 acres of
land that are leased to private
and nonprofit operators In
fiscal year 24.
These leased golf courses
generated $34 million in
revenue for course operators
while the city only received
$3.7 million of rents.
The revenue from leased golf
courses support essential
general fund services like
parks, libraries and also our
streets.
The leased golf courses also
support the water fund which
helps offset repairs water
bills.
We first discussed this item at
our OCTOBER Audit Committee
meeting and I do appreciate
the follow up and the work
that's gone into identifying
identifying an opportunity to
increase the rent that
Fairbanks ranch pays to
the city And I especially want
to thank the city auditor's
office for bringing this to
the attention of city staff.
This is exactly the kind of
oversight that can help
the city make sure that it's
getting the best possible
return from public assets that
cannot be used by residents
unless they pay a hefty fee.
If a resident wanted to use
the golf course in Fairbanks
Ranch, it would cost them about
$25,000 for admission for an
initiation fee and monthly dues
of about 1270 In fiscal year
2025 Fairbanks Ranch Country
Club reported 16.7 million in
lease revenues while the city
received only $863,000 in
calendar year 24.
At a time when the city is
making very difficult decisions
about budget about its budget,
it must consider whether these
lessees are getting a fair
return.
Around 25% of the city's leases
are in holdovers meaning we're
leaving potential revenue on
the table that could help fund
critical services that are
residents rely on like arts and
culture, libraries and parks.
One of the lessees that
generated the most for the city
is mission Trails who is leased
by the American golf course.
The American golf generated
about approximately 4.9 million
in lessee revenues in fiscal
year 2025 and the lessee paid
the city approximately 1.1
million in fiscal year 24.
American golf has golf courses
in California, Florida, New
Mexico, New York and Texas and
has over 50 years of experience
handling golf course golf
courses.
And yet during the city
auditor's review of the golf
course leases, mission trails
had been in hold for over four
years.
We have a responsibility to be
good stewards of taxpayer
resources and the entities that
lease from the city.
I think the crux of the issue
is that ultimately this is an
example of how the city's
standard for residents and
multi million dollar
institutions are starkly
different.
If there's an opportunity to
generate additional revenue
without raising taxes and
without cutting services that
our community rely on, we
should take the opportunity
seriously.
The city should not be waiting
up to the last minute to act on
reappraisal and adjustments of
rent.
With enough time the city can
do proper appraisals, let
leaseholders know of their
rents being adjusted and start
the new lease as soon as
possible basically ensuring our
residents receive their fair
share from these multimillion
dollar institutions.
Once again I think the city
auditor enough and in
particularly for letting
the Economic Development
Department know of
the opportunity to raise rent
to Fairbanks Ranch And I also
want to I do want to thank
economic development staff for
reacting to this opportunity
and making this a top priority
given the importance of this
opportunity and the city's
effort to make it a top
priority.
I do believe it's appropriate
to provide the public with an
update on the status of these
negotiations.
So city staff, can you please
provide an update to the public
on how negotiations have gone
with Fairbanks Ranch thing?
>> Thank you for the question.
Councilmember Kristina Butler,
Director of Economic
Development.
We had sent our letter of
readjustment on time in
economic development to
Fairbanks Ranch.
Within that time frame we were
able to conduct the appraisal
on time and received roughly a
41% increase in the overall
rent.
It was received well and all
backed by data.
So that has concluded and is
effective this current fiscal
year and went into effect on
time on JULY 18th or JULY 18th.
Wonderful.
And so does that mean that
Fairbanks ranch is paying
market rate?
They are paying market rate.
Wonderful.
Thank you.
I'd like to request that
the rba review their appraisal
and also let the council know
if they have any concerns about
this too.
A high stake here.
I mean I've only driven by
Fairbanks ranch and I could say
that you can't even go in
there.
And unless you have authority
by the security so I'd like to
know whether this is a fair
market or whether they're
paying a fair market rate.
Is this something that could be
accommodated?
>> I'm happy to discuss that
with your office and our real
estate consultant and get back
to council member.
>> Thank you so much Once again
to the auditor.
Thank you for everything
Everybody in the office Thank
you guys for all that you do
for the citizens of San Diego.
Do you have any comments that
you want to add regarding this
audit?
>> You're asking me, correct?
Yes.
No, I think we covered it in
the presentation.
I do agree.
I think it would be good for
the aba to look into this.
You know that's good that they
were able to negotiate an
increase but it is still far
below the rate that other
courses are paying that make
far less money and are far less
profitable.
So I'm not saying anything is
necessarily wrong but I think
it's we should make sure that
we are getting the best
possible deal.
I'm sorry I might have missed
that part of the presentation.
Do you mind taking us back to
that part of the presentation
where you show other rates that
other golf courses are paying
just so that we could?
I still have two minutes on
the lights so we're controlling
it from over here.
>> You can just tell us which
slide it is so you could get
slide six.
I can I can step ma'am if you
please.
I can I can step through what's
on that slide and know it's
small and kind of hard to read
.
But these if you look down
the left side there that is
the list of lessees.
So the least the courses that
the city owns and leases out if
you just skip over to the far
right that's the percentage
lease that was paid to the city
at the time of the audit.
So you can see it runs
the gamut there clean up park
at 1% but that that's a
different kind of arrangement
as a as a nonprofit.
So if you just focusing on
the couple that you referenced
if you look at Fairbanks ranch
they pay 5% That's average
across all categories.
By comparison, Mission Trails
is at 22%.
Technology at 25%.
Again, this is at the time of
the audit.
So that kind of gives you an
idea of gamut.
Does that answer your question,
ma'am?
That makes me very angry.
But yes, it does answer my make
you angry but okay.
Okay.
Well thank you once again to
everybody.
I think we all have our work
cut out for us And once again
thank you to the auditor for
bringing this to light and
hopefully generating 40% more
from Fairbanks Ranch.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Moreno
.
>> We'll go next to council
member Isla Rivera.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you to
you and your team for for this
report.
Thanks to Chair Moreno for her
work on the audit committee.
I'm I share the anger and I'm
glad we're having this
conversation.
The new agreement with
Fairbanks Ranch we are
expecting 1.1 to 1.2 million
per year.
>> Is that correct?
>> Correct.
Councilmember It's over 1.2
million.
It's an increase of 375,000
annually And why does it why is
the negotiated rate less than
other courses?
>> Thank you for
the opportunity to answer that
question.
So what This is a reevaluation
based on a period in time at
actual obligation so it is not
a full renegotiation in
the same way of the rfp
negotiations that we're
currently in With the others it
has a very strict parameter as
to what we can evaluate and
then bring it to market.
So it is starting from a
baseline that originated when
the lease was initiated and
then re-upped in 2016 for
the frequency.
That answer your question Yes.
>> Well kind of So your your
position is is that this is
the best the city could do
based on the contract that
the city has with Fairbanks
Ranch.
I think that's a broad
characterization.
What we negotiated is not only
market but in some cases a 50%
increase.
Only two of the categories that
we were allowed to reevaluate
maintained at the rate they
were at the rest of them
increased significantly for an
overall increase of rent of 41%
And all of that is backed by
market data and that that's
tied to benchmarking with other
properties that Right
benchmarking with other
categories related to
concessions and what those
categories are that are defined
in that lease.
Correct.
I'm sorry, could we ask you to
go to the Taller Mike are
having difficulties hearing you
in the zoom?
Thank you.
Sure.
Okay.
Andy, your contention is that
there's still more that or at a
minimum we should be asking why
continue to ask why
the difference in in rates and
why Fairbanks is playing
comparable amounts or sometimes
less than far less profitable
course is correct.
>> We I don't know why You know
I think it is surprising that
the rate would have come out to
only 7%.
What other courses are paying
20 to 25%.
But as MS..
Miller pointed out, they have
possibly some limitations from
the agreement.
The amendment that was made in
2016 that lowered basically
lowered the rates at that time
And then there's parameters on
how that can be reassessed if
comps can be found which I
don't think good comps could be
found for the membership
categories specifically which
is pretty important because
that's 80% of the country
club's revenue.
How can I think I'm confused
why there wouldn't be able to
be comps found.
There's other country clubs and
I forgive me I think that's
somewhat speculation.
We do have comparable ranges
And so in the membership alone
and an appraised range is
between 5 and 10% of similar
like comparing things And so
our negotiated rate there is
six based on how much we could
fluctuate within that threshold
.
>> Okay.
Thanks for saying that thinking
and I'm looking at a photo of
Haring's country club and it's
beautiful.
It's yeah it's just stunning
and I'm This is city property
right?
Okay.
And country club members there
pay $25,000 a year to use that
course to enjoy that And we
pull up photos of some
restrooms at a park in Mount
Hope in my district And this is
what was there And now there's
porta potties and we had a
fight until the last second of
this budget savings previous
budget cycle to get funding for
a new restroom to be built.
And so the anger that
Councilmember Moreno shared I
feel the same exact way We just
approve the transfer
opportunity funds to rec
centers in districts four,
eight and nine that are
scraping by on budgets of less
than $100,000 After we did
considerable work after
the Council had to fight to
have a nother for profit very,
very very profitable entity in
the same part of of the county
pay more of their fair share
for the use of city property
And I, I want to understand
what is the mayor's philosophy
on maximizing revenue from city
property so that it can be
utilized for the good of San
Diegans specifically as it
relates to Parks and Rec
Councilmember I think it's in
line with the council's
philosophy.
I don't I don't know that it is
Councilmember.
I also think that if
the conversations that
initiated this deal decades ago
took place today, the structure
would be very different And I
think through the work that
we've done together through
budget and new parks and new
projects that we capitalize as
much as we can.
And I think the deal points
that Christina just mentioned
earlier head in that direction
of working within the confines
of the existing contract to try
to maximize as much as we can.
And so I get where you're
saying this is it's an
egregious example, right?
It really is in those pictures
I think you know, really do say
a thousand words But I do think
that if those conversations
took place today, the situation
would be much different.
And I hope that the work that
eda has done to maximize as
much as we can at the intervals
that we're allowed to do so
indicates that I appreciate
that response but I don't I
don't know that we're aligned
because consistently
the council is the one that has
to come in in the back end and
and fight for more and and I
have not seen that has been
given direction from
the mayor's office to go after
the wealthiest most profitable
users of city property the ones
that are in holdover and
the ones that got sweetheart
deals decades ago and continue
to profit from those.
At what point is the mayor's
office say enough is enough and
everyone who's in hold over
who's making the most money get
in line because it's your turn
to finally pay your fair share
Because I don't think that
direction has been given to d I
think that direction has been
given to E.D. You know we've
had a conversation I think
sometime last year about
the prioritization of holdover
leases 900 leases citywide and
a real estate team of what 1214
agents.
And so the direction has been
given to them and I think
through explicitly focus on
the most profitable entities
those who are have the best
deals from the city, those
who've made the most money on
city property for the longest
period of time.
Yeah Councilmember thank you
for your question Specifically
that No but what we have been
targeted with doing is driving
as much revenue and profit as
we possibly can with the leases
that become available to us at
that time.
So we are to Christina and
the teams benefit We've
retooled it to focus on those
leases to focus on revenue not
just for the general fund side
but also for rate payers on
the port side there was a
question asked and I actually
think it's a fair one for San
Diegans to ask because of
the frustrations that everyone
is feeling on a regular basis.
Pools are closed, libraries are
closed, rec centers are hours
are reduced, restrooms closed
And we just saw reporting that
Balboa Park has between 500
million and $1 billion in
deferred maintenance and their
country club continues to look
the way it does.
The profits there continue to
pile up And so how much are we
willing to subsidize golf
rounds for country club members
And is it the mayor's position
the profits of country clubs
like Fairbanks Ranch are more
important than the services and
resources that are provided by
the city's parks, parks and rec
centers.
I think these are fair
questions for residents to ask
and as much as I know that we
need to increase revenue across
the city, I also understand why
it would make residents blood
boil to know that rich people's
golf rounds are being
subsidized raised at a $25,000
per year country club while
their rec centers hours are
being slashed and they're being
asked to pay more.
And if we're actually going to
get this ship turned in
the right direction and get
residents to believe that this
is a city worth investing in
their needs, they're going to
need to see the executive of
this city fight for its
residents and actually take on
the people who are making
the most money and enjoying
the benefits of this city
the most.
Well, everyone else struggles
to know whether or not they're
going to pay next month's rent
And I can appreciate
the efforts of the employees of
Ed and the work that this bill
does And I do not think by any
stretch of the imagination that
this administration has put
the most profitable entities in
San Diego on notice that it is
about time that they pay their
fair share and that if they
don't the city will find new
partners or run these things
ourselves so that San Diegans
can actually enjoy the benefits
of being one of the most
beautiful places in the world
that people from around
the world want to come to And
wealthy people are willing to
pay significant amounts of
money to visit to recreate.
And right now the only people
who are benefiting from that
are other rich people who are
piling up millions and millions
in profit.
So Andy, thank you again for
the work you did on this.
Thank you To the audit
committee as always counts From
what I know I, I can appreciate
that there will be more money
coming in as a result of this
audit and the work that was
done after that and at the same
time be extremely frustrated
that it takes audit reports, it
takes conversations like this
to actually kick things into
gear and far more often than
not the council is the ones are
the ones who are left coming in
at the back end to squeeze more
out of these profitable
entities to make sure that
the city is actually not
getting screwed in these deals.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Council member Eli
Rivera.
We'll go next to council member
Von Wilbert.
Thank you for the audit in
the work and thank you to your
team and for the briefing on
this ahead of time.
i mean I had very similar
questions to my colleagues
about why Fairbanks Ranch
Country Club isn't paying 25%
or to be another 2 million or
so dollars a year.
It'd be put them out around $44
million because technology
Canyon is paying 25%, Mission
trails are paying 22%.
Even Hodges is paying 2020 15%
of their lease revenue paid to
the city And yet Fairbanks
Ranch Country Club is now
paying what, seven?
So why can't they be paying 25?
They're the most likely to
afford it and other golf
courses are.
So that's my question Did they
tell you and you answered it
why they were different?
I mean I cannot speak to
the negotiations if you're
asking me I know that the this
is covered in the audit in 2016
There was an at the lease was
transferred to a new operator
and at that time there was a
lease amendment that lowered
lowered the rates At that time
the most important rate is
the rate for memberships
because that's 80% of their
revenue and I think that went
from 10% to 4% at that time.
So that's why it's been like
that for the last ten years.
But I can't speak to that.
That's a question for
the administration as to the 7%
.
Okay.
Did anybody this was just
worked on wasn't there If I
could call Christine about to
talk through the deal point on
why.
So thank you for the question.
25% is not within market and it
is a data point that is in
the report but not what is
allowable contractually within
the lease itself.
Each of the categories is
broken out and then we have
the determination to find
within the category what is
market, what is the range of
market within that And we can
negotiate within that range.
So it's not a broad assessment
of a number.
It frankly has to be tied to
market.
So we started a lower number as
I was explaining to
Councilmember Ila Rivera and
then that number has increased
by 50%.
That is now justifiable within
the range from the starting
point we were given back in
2016.
When does what is the 2016
lease end The lease started
back in the 80s with a 70 year
lease and it will be
reevaluated every ten years.
That's per the Civil code 718
And so the next revaluation
will be in 2036 and it will
determine market from that
point and it goes until 2050,
2056 to then applied in 2016.
Did you not you know if you
were here but did the city
amend it?
I can't speak to
the negotiations at the time.
Okay.
We are the same path of all
leases.
Councilmember Santa School has
about 18 different leases under
negotiation Within my office
we've reassign two property
agents to help with that.
Um, it would be great to have
San Pasquale leaseholders be
more communicative and that
would be my ask if we could
partner on that.
We'd like to get some across
the finish line before the end
of the calendar year.
Got it.
Well I'm on their farms a lot
and communication from them
doesn't seem to be the problem
so I'm happy to talk about
later.
I bring this up because it
seems like our real estate at
his department is just it's not
functioning well and this is
not new And the golf leases are
one example.
This is before Christina became
the head of this And I know
there's a lot of political
leadership that's been a
problem But the city bought one
on one ash skyscraper across
the street.
It's still empty and real
estate assets at the time and
told this council it wasn't us
but people before us that it
needed a $10,000 power wash.
What does that even mean?
And I know we have leases in
Balboa Park that are on hold
over I know we have leases
admission bay there on hold
over And so part of the problem
is that real estate asset only
has what you said 12 to 14
leasing agents for 900
properties.
That's correct.
We have 12 property agents for
our portfolio So we can I'm
glad that we're doing this
audit.
I'm glad we're getting more
money from the golf courses as
we should.
But the fact that someone from
real estate assets negotiated a
very poorly drafted provision
in 2016 with the wealthiest
golf course operator we have
and has now locked us into less
money is just another symptom
of how this department is not
functioning well and it's not
necessarily the fault of the 12
to 14 agents who were there
because they're overworked and
overburdened.
But Mark Kersey, my
predecessor, tried for his
entire eight year term to get
this Yampa Squaw Valley Farm
leases done.
I'm ending the end of my 282
years or two terms and I'm
still don't have them done and
I've been begging for them.
It's not for lack of trying And
so my overall question is if
the real estate assets
department is a revenue
generating department because
obviously this audit just
brought in I don't know you
said 41% more so over $1
million more in lease revenue
I'm guessing from the Fairbanks
Ranch property.
>> No, it was we're paying 800
something now It's paying 2.1
300 75 k per year for that
particular lease.
The reassessment for Fairbanks
Ranch which made almost $17
million was only 375 k
additional dollars.
I believe that's accurate.
I'll defer to staff for them.
Okay.
That's correct.
I see That's that's the problem
.
And so when we're having these
budget hearings about staffing
,I feel like this, you know,
better equipped property agents
would pay for not only for
themselves but could bring in
even more money over the future
.
And Councilmember, I don't
disagree with you.
I think you know, there have
been active discussions about
how we can solve the staffing
levels in real estate which
includes carving off a
percentage.
If you look at real estate as a
private business, you come in
and say all right, I'm going to
take 5% of my revenues and I'm
gonna use it to manage my
portfolio.
We've looked at that.
The problem with looking at
that and doing that is we're
taking millions of dollars
potentially I don't quote me on
the exact number but we're
taking money away from
the general fund that otherwise
would go to other resources.
So having this discussion right
now is good but it's also not a
good time to have that
discussion because if we were
to bring forward a proposal to
say we're going to take 3 to 5%
of the entire real estate
portfolio and allocated towards
property agents, that means
less money coming into
the general fund to pay for
restrooms and other things.
So you know, it really is about
where the priorities are at and
we've batted around different
proposals over the years.
I'm happy to have further
discussions with you and
the rest of Council on a
proposal that would look like
that.
But the reality is is it would
take money away from other
general fund services.
It would but the goal is
the people you bring in would
generate more money than it
would take away.
It's much more money.
Yeah, I don't I don't disagree
with you on that.
>> I don't And that's the long
term vision I'm seeking from
the city administration.
These problems are not new and
but when we do the budget we
sit here and we ask if you're
understaffed and how we can
help and there's just no real
plan to put it on the right
track.
So basically to have it I am
but a council member I can't
force the Health administration
to change everything I can just
budget where I can So thank you
for the audit.
Hopefully we can do better and
hopefully we can actually staff
properly a real estate assets
department so that we can
maximize the leases that
Councilmember Eli Rivera is
talking about which are some of
the most beautiful places in
the world And yet we're not
able to even maintain them.
So thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
You have some fun.
Well, we'll go next to
Councilmember Campion.
Thank you, council PRESIDENT.
Thank you to our city out here
for good work.
I just want to ask a basic
question as well.
The lessee revenue what do we
what do we verify that against?
We look at their entire payroll
or their excuse me their entire
set of income.
Is it different between
different lessees?
I just want to make sure that
we're actually getting
the amount of money they're
bringing in and actually
holding them to the percentage
that are in their contracts
because a lot of times even
that math sometimes falls
through the floor.
How do we verify what they're
the revenue that's coming in
and that we're actually
collecting the right amount?
Councilmember I can take a
swing at that part Pardon
the horrible intentional pun
And so the revenue audits are
conducted by the Treasurer's by
the by the city attorney's
office And so when they do
revenue audits it would depend
on the categories that are in
there but they do go in and
review the books for those.
One of the things that and
again thanks to MR. Howard from
golf one of the one of
the things about enhancing
the amount of the type of
performance data that we get
from them is it would help
verify revenue.
There's certain things that
that they can that Golf
division currently does that we
don't ask of our lessees to
triangulate the amount of
revenue and ensure that we're
collecting the amount that we
are Regarding the specifics of
how they do revenue audits, I
would defer to
the administration on that but
that's a separate division that
does that.
They do that throughout
the city for example in Mission
Bay etc. So they do those
revenue audits periodically for
all all leaseholders that have
a revenue split agreement with
the city.
Okay.
I figure if we're not
inspecting the golf courses
themselves regularly and their
inspector books accordingly so
do we have does it look like
that happens every single year
?
Thank you Councilmember.
So one of the things that we
instituted with the update of
the council policies on 1012
and 32 was the frequency to
which the audits would occur
and that the city Treasurer's
office and economic development
would work on a work plan of
what are the leases that are
coming up that are within their
lease time frame not only in
the annual audit but then to
ensure that the audit is
reflecting what rent should be
collected.
That's been very successful
over the last two fiscal years
in that partnership and again
I'd love to remember
the council that the books were
in bad shape in terms of where
things were cataloged Within
our system we've upgraded our
system.
We've put a lot of internal
controls in place so that
revenue is categorized
appropriately per
the leaseholds.
All of this has been remedied
really in the last 18 months
And so what we're seeing now is
accuracy within that audit.
It occurred prior to those
controls being in place.
So this was calendar year 21
through 24.
All of those controls are
actively in place and working
collectively to ensure the city
is receiving the revenue that
it should.
>> Okay, that lessons was very
important.
I appreciate the good work on
that.
Thank you.
Thanks, PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Campi.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Foster.
Yes, I guess I will Thank you
for audit.
Thank you.
You know for my colleagues in
their in their questions and
their concern.
I guess what I'm struggling
with is I feel as if we throw
we say we have a contract that
was put in place 20 years ago
or whatever the case MAY be and
we continue to operate and
function within these within
state contract.
But it seems like we are
constantly running into an
issue with these.
I'm a common like a check on
legacy contracts or whatever
you want to call them on but
typically every contract that
I've dealt with over the years
there's clauses to exit
the contract And I guess I'm
not necessarily understanding
as we are the city of San Diego
when we we do business with
certain groups to where I feel
they dictate how we do business
versus us being the city of San
Diego, the second largest city
in the state and being in a
position to Gucci better terms
we're not negotiating for you
MR. Smith, or for the mayor.
We're negotiating on behalf of
the residents, on behalf of our
taxpayers And it seems we don't
go in with the proper position
or goal to maximize our
opportunities in their best
interest And I think that is
really a theme that I struggle
with especially coming from
the industry that I came from
certain organizations I work
for.
You signed a contract.
The contract was very well
written and very well written
to where I could look at
someone to say I'm going to
turn you up So if you don't do
what I say do I'm going to turn
you upside down and shake you
until nothing falls out of your
pockets.
But let me and I'm just
confused and and so can you
help me to understand And even
if we go through and we have an
agreement you go from 5% to 7%
but yet there are still from if
I understand the numbers that
were presented in this audit
even with that percentage
change, they are still
profiting substantially.
And yet my colleague in
District nine has no restroom
And I think there's a you know,
we just went through a series
of conversations and everyone
wanted to go to bat and fight
for restrooms at Bishan Beach
which I understand but I don't
have restrooms at my parks in
my community And so can you
help me to understand how we
have this long term lease?
What types of provisions are on
their why are we not taking a
different position and looking
to change?
I'm not understanding.
The other question I have is
and I think it was very
specific on when I would
oftentimes I talk about
understanding our book of
business and I'm a little taken
back that we have not if we
have however many holdover
leases we have, why are we not
understanding what those are
prioritizing accordingly so
that we are maximizing our
return?
If I understand the way you
answered that question on
Casey, it seems as if we don't
have that type of thought out
process in place so that we are
approaching this from a very
informed intentional way so
that as we are having our
budget conversations that we
are maximizing opportunities to
better serve the residents of
the city of San Diego.
If someone can help me to
understand that because I think
the line of questioning of hey,
where does the mayor stand on
this Because again I'm going to
go back to these are
the inherent problems of a
strong mayor form of government
because I think everyone's
attitude would be different
when we have a conversation
about is the operations in line
with the council.
If we had a city manager that
reported to the council I think
our conversations I would like
to think would be different.
So if someone can help me to
understand because I've been
here two years I haven't been
here eight but I know if I've
been asking for something for
eight years and I didn't get it
no conversation would be
pleasant.
Not one So help me to
understand it.
Matter of fact eight plus eight
is my math is 16 so help me to
understand please.
>> If I could maybe address
your first question about
the contracts and why perhaps
they're different in a real
property solution.
It is not as simple as a
contract where there are
termination clauses.
I would love to say that each
of our leases have a
termination clause.
I can tell you right now they
don't looking across the entire
portfolio.
So issue number one issue
number two, it's not a contract
for services in the same way
that delivery doesn't happen
when you have real property.
There are technically property
rights associated with
the lease that then likely have
remedies default clauses.
All of those have to be
exercised in order for us to
completely disrupt and then
prove that they truly are out
of compliance with their lease.
We have several of those we are
pursuing right now.
Additionally with we the way
that the department has been
restructured within economic
development we have put
together a work plan.
We have put together a
strategic memo prioritizing
revenue generating sites that
were either in holdover or not
maximizing the city's
potential.
We are actively working through
those to date.
I'll defer to the mayor's
office to speak to the other
question but I wanted you to
know it's not as simple
potentially as some MAY
perceive about contracts
termination based on general
performance, real property
contracts like leases, licenses
etc. They are different.
>> So thank you I think
Councilmember if you'd like I
can take that question about
how we reposition
the department to focus on
revenue generating
opportunities.
You know Christina and team
have a very robust work plan.
That work plan is based It is
really looking at tackling
revenue generating
opportunities, leases and
holdover and trying to balance
that to see what is going to
generate what can we focus on
that's going to generate
the most return on investment
for the city.
So we do collectively look at
that.
That is something that her and
her team actively work on and
they do have clear direction
and we've got plenty of
examples of we can point to
where we've been trying to
focus on that.
>> So how does the public hold
the mirror accountable?
What information do you have on
the website?
What transparency do you have?
Do you have a place to go to
where every single lease is
indicated?
How do we do this?
I can't and I guess I ask this
question I'm asked this
question because we have
the audit It's my understanding
you went through negotiated
whatever terms you
renegotiated.
I don't think any of us have
seen it.
I didn't receive a briefing on
it.
I don't know if you call my
office or not as we've been on
legislative recess but now
we've gone through if I
understand you correctly put a
new updated release in
the course whatever those bad
terms are and no one saw it.
Did you see it?
Did the city auditor see it?
Did you guys get consulted
before everyone text on
the dotted line or again it was
the mayor in the room in
negotiating.
So those are market
readjustments.
They're different than bringing
forward the leases.
So the other leases in the Gulf
portfolio related to this audit
that are underway in
negotiation, this council will
have the opportunity to vote on
all of those and see
the negotiated terms and see
the increase in revenue that
we've been successfully
negotiating over the last few
months.
So that's the process for
council and none of the leases
that we are currently
negotiating or short term
leases which then fall under a
three year period or less all
of these are longer term leases
with an exchange to create
revenue and operate maintain a
city golf course to
the standard the city demands.
And I do appreciate the audit
from the auditor because we do
want more performance.
Very few of our leases today
have performance indicators at
all whereas if you look at
the nonprofit contracts that
the department manages we have
a lot of performance metrics so
we're happy to have that
partnership and work alongside
the golf division to improve
that going forward.
But that's I appreciate that I
still I still have to take
issue with the response because
again I'm going to go back to
any contract that is done is
put in place by us And so good,
bad or indifferent a bad
contract is a bad contract And
if we are continuing to operate
and you are working I guess
I'll call it a silo to where we
don't have the true
transparency I don't think it's
our responsibility to go out
and explain to individuals that
bad contract to explain to
individuals all of those
issues.
That's the job of operations is
the same way the mayor tells us
who we can call and talk to who
we cannot.
>> Right.
I forgot to mention
the transparency part was a
really key component.
I would love this council to
know One of the things that
the department spent an
exorbitant amount of time
producing is the leases,
the amendments and various
different These documents we
are making those available and
working with the end in it to
ensure that the public has all
of the agreements right now
they don't the easiest way they
can get them is the praise this
will advance the ability for
people to do their own searches
in the same way that special
use permit are available on
the website to I.
I hate to say this but as bad
as this is the public should
not have to pray again this is
taxpayer dollars and we are
going to what's the term owners
it's it's it's we're putting
another level on them to figure
out how the mayors is
protecting their dollars and to
say hey let's just do a pray.
>> I don't think that's
the appropriate response.
Forgive me that wasn't what I
was if my wording wasn't
correct.
We are getting an overabundance
of yours to request
the existing leases because
they're not available.
They're not attainable and
they're not searchable.
We're making that readily
accessible for the entire
portfolio.
So forgive me if I wasn't clear
that that is what we mean.
So what's our timeframe for
that?
Actually it should be up again
the next month.
So Councilmember, I'll just
note a lot of the leases are
already online as attachments
to the council committee
meetings When the council files
when they were approved.
It's a it's a roundabout way to
getting it.
It's not a good user interface
but I don't want there to be a
perception that the leases are
not available at some point to
the public only accessible
through appeal.
>> Right.
I can appreciate that But again
that's a bureaucratic that's a
bureaucratic approach already I
think I heard my time run out
on council PRESIDENT I will end
here But again I have to say we
need to find a way to deal with
this in a more efficient
manner.
I don't know.
The city attorney needs to get
involved but at some point we
need to take a different
position and approach And so
I'll be pushing out to make
sure we do that as we move
forward.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, Governor Foster.
I'll go to Councilmember
Whitman.
Thank you very much.
Council PRESIDENT.
We absolutely need to make sure
to maximize revenues in our
city.
We absolutely need to eliminate
disparities And I'll tell you
the person I'm most unhappy
with, the person I'm most
unhappy with is the mayor who
originally signed this lease
who signed on the dotted line
to commit this city to a
sweetheart deal a deal that we
have been stuck with for
decades and we will continue to
be stuck with for decades and
we will be stuck with this
until it ends.
And the mayor who signed on
the dotted line was Mayor
People.
>> So let's make that clear.
This is not a holdover release
.
It's not a lease that has
expired and that we have an
opportunity to renegotiate.
>> It is an act of current
lease and we're stuck with this
act of current lease until
the end of the act of current
lease.
But we do have an opportunity
to do is revisit it
periodically and update
the terms and I appreciate
the recent efforts to do that
and I know the as future
opportunities come up we'll
continue to do our best to
maximize the revenue available
to us.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Whitburn Only
one item on this afternoon's
agenda.
I want to jump in now.
Nobody else is on the lights.
Thank you Andy and the entire
team for the audit work And I
know this was we're hearing
this today from you.
This was heard previously by
the audit committee and I think
was available in the spring And
I think it actually inspired
some conversations during
the budget budget cycle not not
a lot of room to maneuver but I
think it was very formative and
continues to emphasize why
having an independent city
auditor is a good thing for for
all of us that my my colleagues
covered a lot of ground and in
fact we probably covered a lot
more ground than the audit in
front of us.
And so I'm going to start out
by suggesting that one of
the council committees think
about how this item that I
think everybody is focused on
So less than the audit itself
than the larger questions and
whether it's the air land use
and housing or budget where we
perhaps can have dig in a
little bit deeper and have a
better conversation about where
we are and where we're going.
I'm going to ask just one
question of you for context.
One Was real estate folded into
economic development Officially
within the fiscal year 25
budget season I became director
of both departments in NOVEMBER
of 23.
>> Okay.
I'd just like to remind people
of that time and what you
inherited and the reason it was
folded in and the work that you
and your staff have done which
we're still in difficult
positions, you're still doing a
lot of catch up.
You still don't have the staff
to go back with all the old
leases and relook at them.
But I didn't want this moment
to pass without recognizing
that good work And then we come
up with new things for you to
work on which I'll go remain
nameless and to the point that
that Councilmember Whitburn
raised in a couple of my
colleagues raised this was done
in 2016.
This is not the original lease
that you were referring to with
Pete Wilson but 2016 which is
really what sets the bar for us
which also was when surf up
another problematic lease that
we have to deal with And it is
done as good a job as you can
within the confines of that
lease language that I remember
Councilmember Leitner voted
against.
I think the skydiving center
falls somewhere in there and
one on one ash fall somewhere
in there seems to be a little
bit of a pattern of things that
not as excuses We're here now
It's our job to make things
right and do the best we can
But it doesn't.
It makes me think twice about
it to the point that was well
for the audit team the table
you preside which shows all
this golf course leases on city
on the percentage is all over
the map and they don't
necessarily see the city in
what it can do as to being
the market and I suspect that
there's a different story for
each lease and why there is one
at 1% and there's one at 25%
and it would be nice to say why
can't they all be 25% their Is
there anything in the work that
you did so far Because I we
always have conversations about
what your job is as an auditor,
a performance auditor.
Was there any look about why
there was such that wide range
was a just that was a deal that
was cut with that leaseholder
on that particular day or
you're talking about
the Fairbanks furniture All of
them All of them I mean if
we're trying to say what it
should be based on that table
well we again I think I
mentioned this whom we talk
about we're not appraisers.
Right.
You know, we use that example
at 20% because it's a little
bit less than the most
comparable courses which are
technology and mission trails.
If you look at that if you look
at that list if you remember it
Vineyard I think there was a
public commenter mentioned we
only owned half of that course
so we get 11% but that's only
for half the course.
Carlton Oaks same thing We only
own half of that.
We get 9% even though we only
own half of it.
So again we're not appraisers
and this MAY be the best that
can be done with the deal that
was struck in 2016, you know
that has certain limits on what
they can use.
But I just think it is notable
in some way, you know, either
it's 2016 or you know, maybe
there's a little more room for
something now And so I think
it's worth discussing.
Sure.
No, I completely agree And
without stepping on the toes of
my colleagues we probably
shouldn't leap too much on
the variety on that table And
of course we would want
the high end.
But as we're all talking we
have legacy leases that were
kind of have to be stuck with
One of the things I was hoping
with that would come out of
the conversation is
the condition of our city
managed golf courses versus
these nonprofits.
I don't MR. Howard would you
because I think some question
has been maybe we ought to take
back these without speaking to
the legality of that But
whether we should take back how
good what is the condition of
these leased golf courses
compared to what you manage on
a day to day basis?
No.
Well thank you for the question
Once again, my name is John
Howard, Deputy Director.
All of these courses are
actually very different from
one to the next.
So when you look at Torrey
Pines there is obviously a high
end golf course But when we
start talking about some of
these executives like tech
technology mission trails,
those are going to be very
different.
So I think we really have to
think about what are
the expectations for each one
of those golf courses.
Fair enough.
I think that's a very generous
answer.
But I think the reality is is
that they are very different
golf courses and whereas
Fairbanks Ranch you might
expect might be at the highest
quality Presidio probably
hovers around the bottom there
and that's a whole other
conversation going forward And
I think technology is closed
right because of the massive
sewer project there.
So do we know when technology
is coming back online?
>> Yeah.
Currently we're in the process
right now of working with
economic development to get a
long term lease there.
We are working with one of
the partners to be able to take
over operations.
Since MARCH 1st the Golf
division has been managing that
property.
Construction is scheduled to be
complete by I believe SEPTEMBER
14th.
So there will be a a little bit
of a break in between
construction and reopening.
But we are going to wait until
there's a long term lease in
place.
Okay, great.
Thank you.
Well, thank you for the amazing
work.
It's I think a very big point
of pride Torrey Pines I mean
that small golf course that is
hosted the us Open and is
the envy of every other private
golf course as well as every
other municipality And a large
tribute to you and the entire
golf division.
So thank you for that.
You know, I'm trying to figure
out what I can add to this
lengthy conversation and
the comments of of my
colleagues.
I guess to the point and I'm
going to ask you, Casey,
because I think most people are
have just about done an 18 hole
golf course coming up and down
from there.
Point that was raised by my
colleagues in terms of
the investment in terms of
investing in resources to move
quicker on leaseholds, whether
they're in carryover, whether
they're ready to expire and we
should think about whether to
renew or to go back out.
You've kind of suggested that
that kind of analysis has been
done and doesn't seem to be
It's never reached a tipping
point where we ought to invest
more in it Indeed staff or I
think you know, counsels fully
aware of this You know it is a
general fund department.
You know we are able to bill
for some of the work we do on
pad leases and enterprise
leases but it is a general fund
department and it's essentially
as long as I've been with
the city been treated just like
a general fund department, you
know, no different than you
know, when budget reductions
are requested.
You know every general fund
department is is you know,
assigned a percentage to hit,
you know, 2 or 3% reductions.
We had reductions in this past
fiscal year previous years
they've seen reductions.
So you know, I don't think
we've added to that department
in many years.
I think you know, what I'm
hearing from council is a
desire to put more investment
into the real estate side of
the house and I'm happy to work
on a proposal to bring that
forward.
I think there are risks
associated with that which
would be, you know, potential
reductions in other areas of
the general fund in order to
support that.
You know, we're talking you
know, I don't have a number off
the top of my head but it is a
percentage of the revenue that
we bring in on the general fund
side that we would essentially
hold back to preserve and build
staff within the department to
address the backlog of leases
that you know, have been there
for decades frankly.
Okay.
I'm trying to get one last
question.
One of the things my staff
hears me say often I heard I
thought I remember wasn't so
correct me if I'm wrong I could
very well be wrong.
I thought there was some
conversation about actually
going outside to help catch up
that we actually had some
conversations with maybe meaa
to navigate that we decided
that wasn't productive.
I think most people are going
to jump out of her chair so
let's we're talking about our
property management.
>> So it was our property
management.
Okay.
Yes.
To augment the resources that
we had we put together an rfq
build bench So we do have
consultants available to us
ready to roll out ab 339 slowed
us up a bit So we've had to go
through a lot more of the kind
of process but we're just now
on the other side of that So
the first one we're rolling out
actually benefits Puddy.
We did a mini scope for five of
the leases that are in Holdover
and we're actively putting that
out to shop it.
So we are getting some support
and nea has been very generous
working with us for a time
period to allow us to try to
catch up and bring additional
resources to bear.
>> So we are we're finally
getting there.
Okay.
It's good.
I'm glad we got that kind of on
the record And I know I have
council members.
We often don't care Public
certainly doesn't care But
there's even this point about a
new state law that says okay,
you got to stop what you're
doing, deal with this new law
and how it interferes with our
operations doesn't help us And
so we try to crawl our way out
of some of these holes that
the prior administrations
handed over to us.
But I think I'm going to stop
there.
I think we've talked in and
around it but again I continue
to encourage my committee
chairs are I don't for my
committee chairs but there are
committee chairs to think about
which committee might be a good
candidate to have a deeper
discussion on these issues that
have been raised both through
the audit and our conversation
this afternoon.
So I'll close this and say
again thank you to the audit
committee.
Thank you to Casey and thank
you to Christina for engaging
with the council this afternoon
and a very long but hopefully a
productive conversation so that
we're a little smarter and see
different opportunities go
forward.
And with that, as long as we're
still holding five of us and
staying awake and a long
afternoon, we are now done with
the information.
This again was an information
item and no motion was required
as I stated this morning we
will now take up virtual not
agenda public comment that was
trailed from this morning.
Council members respect and
appreciate the public input and
are fully committed to
protecting every participant's
free speech rights at Council
and committee meetings And I
probably don't have to say this
but if you spoke in person this
morning please do not call in.
You have one opportunity to
speak on not a general public
comment per council meeting
with that clerk Please proceed
with our virtual public
comment.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pearl $2.7
General 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 since everyone should
be joining us virtually.
Please make sure to raise your
hand now or dial star nine
starting with Thank you wrap if
you can please unmute.
We do have seven speakers in
the queue.
>> Good afternoon.
My name is Becky Rapp and today
I'd like to bring your
attention to a study that was
published in jama Psychiatry by
researchers from the National
Institute on Drug Abuse.
The study analyzed more than
186,000 adults using data from
2021 through 2024.
>> The researchers found that
cannabis use disorder is
increasing while alcohol use
disorder has declined or
remained stable.
This study is critical because
it addresses a very important
misconception that marijuana is
safer than alcohol.
That comparison is being used
to justify expanding marijuana
access and products across
the country.
According to the study in 2024
more than 1 in 3 men who use
marijuana that's 36% had
responses consistent with
cannabis use disorder.
Among women who use marijuana
it was more than 1 in 4 27%.
And for young adults
the numbers are even more
alarming.
The cdc is also clear when it
identifies cannabis use
disorder and warns about
impairment and other health
risks Its own materials say
cannabis can result in
psychoactive effects.
So when someone says marijuana
is safer than alcohol, we
should point out that it is not
the standard we should use for
public policy.
We should not be choosing
between two public health
problems If alcohol related
disorders declining.
Why would we want to fill that
space with increasingly potent
marijuana products?
Council members Please follow
the science not the industry
Talking points.
Marijuana use disorder is
increasing.
The severity is increasing and
our policies should reflect
that reality.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
>> Next is Peggy Walker.
If you can please unmute.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Because our guest is Substance
Abuse Prevention Month.
I come with that request.
As rates rise for marijuana use
and related addiction child
poisonings, cannabis
hyperemesis syndrome cycle
since early stroke and heart
attack violence and suicide I
respectfully ask you to support
legislation to cap thc potency
in marijuana products.
Other jurisdictions are doing
this.
It makes sense in light of
the recent statement by San
Diego Doctor Ronny Lev,
national author of Drug Policy
she called marijuana the number
one drug addiction.
Thc caps could help stem
addiction because experts say
marijuana is the hardest
addiction to treat with fewer
medications for recovery than
opioids And methamphetamine.
Through my youth substance use
prevention work I witnessed
firsthand some marijuana's
devastating effects on young
people.
Kids are especially vulnerable
to high potency thc due to
ongoing brain development to
age 26.
Early pot use negatively
impacts decision making impulse
control emotions and has
lasting effects on brain
structure function and
behavior.
My work aims to prevent ill
substance use prevent
the progression to dependance
and prevent consequences
associated with use Marijuana
Cancer.
Nearly half of admissions for
youth 12 to 17 into substance
use treatment reflecting
the fact that Prep 64 has
failed its promise to keep our
kids safe.
Thc caps would help lessen
the negative health impact on
youth.
Thank you.
Thank you Barbara Gordon If you
can please unmute.
Thank you.
As a public health educator I
am urging the city to renew
their investments in prevention
and push back against
the industry's best efforts to
normalize drug use.
Prevention remains one of
the most effective and cost
conscious tools we have in
fighting against the drug
crisis.
In a recent sandag juvenile
arrestee drug use in the San
Diego region reports 98% of
the that juveniles interviewed
reported using at least one
illicit substance and 68% of
youth arrested said marijuana
was the first substance they
experimented with.
And fortunately numerous
marijuana predictors and
policymakers that pursue
profits at the expense of
public health actively
undermine our prevention
efforts.
Our children are given
conflicting messages when they
tell them not to use it at
addictive substances that are
now being promoted throughout
our neighborhoods.
A study published in
the Journal of American Academy
of Children and Adolescents
Psychiatry found that states
that permit marijuana was
associated with increase in
past months marijuana use among
youth ages 12 to 17.
We need to maximize prevention
effectiveness.
This lack of prevention
education has serious
implications for the health
equity of our communities
especially with our young
people.
Thank you for letting me speak.
Thank you.
Next is Blair Beckman.
If you can please unmute.
After Blair it's Hector and
then Tyler and 7499.
Blair please proceed.
All right.
Thank you.
Blair Beckman.
Thankfully San Diego City
government is not as
competitive and demanding of
new technology use of say
the San Francisco Bay Area and
Silicon Valley.
A reminder that before Stanford
,Palo Alto and Menlo Park,
Silicon Valley was a land of
the lonely coasts and no one
nation's.
And this fall election time I
hope San Diego can be having
more regular community
conversations about our public
safety future.
Along with the crime, most
people simply fear our
technology future more open,
accountable responsible tech
policies is simply meant to
help alleviate these fears of
our technology future.
And that good tech policy
practices simply can create a
more efficient use of tech or
reduction of tech need and
yearly budget savings.
And all of this can continue to
maintain responsible tech use
and good public safety
practices to also address
There's a genuine concern and
fear of technology and its
current leaders.
Many people in San Diego and
across the country are speaking
this time that we should not
have to feel overly pressured
in the placement of tech in our
local San Diego neighborhoods.
And do we even need technology
placement?
And can we continue to perform
tasks without the use of
technology?
I hope all of these ideas and
concepts along with community
healing strategies can be more
regularly acknowledged by our
community, our elected
officials and San Diego city
government and how we can more
clearly talk about the future
of our San Diego neighborhood
public safety.
In the fall election
conversations of 2026 as you
simply can be the ways to
develop as a more folk
community.
And being on the same page with
future tech issues in 2027.
To conclude as there currently
seems to be a growing number of
people around Father Joe's
villages at 14th and Imperial
Avenue it is maybe a bit
alarming.
The New Day Center simply needs
to simply MAY be needed to
return to service in the near
future.
It seems a bad idea to sell
the Neal Good Day Center.
I think we're making a bad
decision all around there.
I hope we really can be
addressing it upcoming in
the coming weeks and months.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is Hector.
If you can please unmute
the five minute.
I had already noticed the five
minute timer did conclude there
are eight speakers in
the queue.
No additional speakers will be
taken.
Hector, if you can please.
Alright.
Thanks for taking my call.
On the all the city leases like
in Mission Bay like six months
ago when there 30% of them were
way behind.
Of all the revenues like
the height of the catamaran is
but all the different
businesses 30% of them were
either not paying the rent or
back on the lease or why are we
back once a week out?
Let's collect the money day and
get everyone's names.
Then even the guys that owned
the golf course up there
Fairbanks it's a couple of
guys.
They have corporations that
hide their stuff.
Who knows the actual owner
unless it's BlackRock or
something But just go on.
>> They're probably community
leaders.
They know they're getting a
huge deal.
We could I don't know if we
have to shame them but they
want to do best for San Diego.
We could say Hey man, have
those couple bathrooms down
there in the in in the south
south Park, you know, And we
tell the kids about how come we
have a Porta John and we don't
get a bathroom.
Because the city's not mine in
the store.
It's not because we're poor and
we're Mexicans or we're this or
that or it's the city's not
mine in the store.
So you got to use the porta.
These other guys are live in
live large and they have great
bathrooms and tennis courts and
they're paying like one tenth
of what it's worth I think at
least at least like one maybe
one one out of eight.
What it's really worth And even
the owner, the Padres he might
pay us 5000 a year 5 million a
year to rent it from us and let
him do whatever he wants.
He can have his friends up
there as buddies.
That's a write up on his
business.
He could He can run it, do
the grass.
He pays five bucks, 5 million a
year to rent it.
Just let him take care of
everything else.
I was wonder who pays the taxes
on the property.
Are we paying the tax property
tax or is the owner paying
the property tax?
The plus is a fortune too.
>> So anyway, thank you.
Next to Tyler if you can please
on mute after Tyler is seven
for 99.
>> Hi I live in Park village
right and skeeters came in
the entirety of my backyard is
up against a city owned steep
Now that we've had two
wildfires in the canyon this
summer I am once again pleading
for help with a fire and soil
erosion hazard that my neighbor
has intentionally created.
If you look at the satellite
view of 845 record you'll have
some context for what I'm
talking about.
My neighbor has repeatedly
cleared the city of land
without permission creating a
soil erosion risk on city
property in advance of what's
expected to be one of
the wettest winters in years.
This neighbor has also dumped
all the trimmings and dead
branches right there in
the canyon creating a fire
hazard for our entire
neighborhood.
These neighbors have been
treating the canyon which they
do not own as their own
personal trash dump.
For years I've asked this
neighbor and their contractor
to stop and clean up this
hazard multiple times over
the years.
This behavior is not only
selfish and reckless it is
illegal for San Diego Municipal
Code sections 142 143 and
the Incorporated Landscape
regulations.
They continue to do this
because there are no
repercussions over the multiple
years this has been happening
that contacted these residents
the fire department multiple
times the brush management
department get it done and
Councilmember Yvonne Gilbert's
office multiple times.
This is not a private dispute
between neighbors.
This is a reckless individual
creating unnecessary risk for
the city and its entire
neighborhood which is clearly
in violation of established
law.
This hillside needs to be
revegetated.
The fire hazard cleared and
the individual stopped from
damaging this property every
year.
I'm begging for your help And
if you've seen what is
happening with homeowners
insurance lately, I trust you
understand that I frankly can't
afford to drop this issue.
>> Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
7499.
If you can please unmute.
I know you do have some a
presentation.
749 I have asked you to unmute
star six or you go please
please play my video.
>> Thank you.
>> Bug does this get here?
I'm going to read from several
letters written to Joe LaCava
regarding the Torrey Pines
letter.
I'll start with this 2021
letter written from the Hawaii
Town Council.
Quote On APRIL eight, 2021
the committee reported its
findings to lgc which
unanimously supported that
the city of San Diego
reconvened the Torrey Pines
Advisory Board.
We are requesting that the city
of San Diego consider whether
the solo pilot suppliers should
have to pay annual membership
fees or cost of insurance to
fly the bike or end quote.
Next letter from Ohio Issuers
Association on NOVEMBER 13th,
2025.
Quote The assured
The association respectfully
submit this letter in support
of establishing the title Park
Advisory Board at all and
overseeing operations at
the Torrey Pines Airport.
Our association believes this
matter is vital to the safety
of park users, visitors and
the surrounding community.
We encourage the City of San
Diego to carefully evaluate
whether solo flier pilots
should be required to pay
annual membership fees and or
maintain insurance coverage to
fly the glider for end quote.
Next letters from
the University Community
Planning Group.
On MARCH 10th, 2026, the cpg
passed the following resolution
request for Pine City Park has
unique and replaceable natural
resources.
And.
Whereas, citizen input over
these resources is both
appropriate and timely.
University Community Planning
Group recommends that the city
establish a 29 City Park
Advisory Board under Charter
Section 43 to advise the city
on planning maintenance and
operation of Torrey Pines City
Park.
And finally this is a second
letter from the town council
AUGUST 13th, 2026 while you
were on vacation.
Quote The town council
respectfully submit this letter
in support of reactivating
the 40 Pine City Park Advisory
Board, our city charter section
43 and its essential role in
providing oversight of
operations of Torrey Pines by a
fourth Pine City Park Advisory
Board should be tasked with
advising the city on matters of
safety and fair access to
the Torrey Pines City Park.
Matters of fair access should
include a review whether pilots
should be required to maintain
annual membership fees and or
individual insurance coverage
as a condition of flying
the glider for end quote.
Joe LaCava.
Why are you ignoring all of
these important local
organizations?
>> Your time has concluded.
We will bring that down.
Next is Natalie Roski If you
can please unmute.
Natalie Rushing Academy before
you there you are here.
Natalie Freshman So I didn't
get a chance to speak yesterday
because my coaches I'm just so
beside myself.
I was ready for my coach.
I went to a town hall where
Sara Jacobs spoke about how
easy it was.
>> There's a real disconnect on
what is what I was asked to
leave what I was going to be
asked to leave and I ended up
exiting myself and I'm not a
real person and I don't yell
and I don't say disrespectful
things or I don't you know, I'm
one of four children who takes
what's happening seriously.
There's a real disconnect If
extremely overwhelming to watch
And you would think I'm telling
you people that oversee what is
happening in city or country.
It's mind boggling.
She sat there If there's video
this video will be aired And
there was giggling There was
her tone changed on the whole
Trump administration.
So I mean that right there was
an issue for me because at
first it seemed like to
the people and I'm like I don't
even know what that means but
at one point she was one way
and then at another point she
was another way.
She talked about it being like
high school.
I mean it was cringe school and
everything She said was word
salad.
What is happening?
Gosh, I wish I had more to
speak but this is real life
happening to me in real time in
my children.
Everybody's body was covered
except for the 350 some odd
that are in the city.
L.A. Your time has concluded.
Terrance Kelly If you can
please email.
Good afternoon City council
members and welcome back from
your legislative break.
My name is Terrence Gilliam, a
parent of public health
educator and a planning group
attendee.
I'm a parent of three young
adult sons.
So this article from
yesterday's City News brought
me great grief.
It was entitled and I quote two
Sentenced to first degree
Murder and Shooting Death of
Cannabis delivery driver Andre
Domingues in Oak Park
neighborhood which is in
District four.
Brian and Kevin were 16 and 18
at the time as the article
describes that they planned to
place an order with a delivery
service and then rob its
driver.
There are so many steps along
the way that could have been
produced could produce a
different outcome for these
young men.
What messages are we sending
that Rob being a delivery man
of his part was okay or worth
their lives?
And how come a 16 year old and