New Memo on Balboa Park "Experiment"

July 15, 2011

Park and Recreation Director recommends City Council proceed carefully on Cabrillo Bridge closures to avoid unintended adverse impacts on park visitors and institutions.

Read the memo (PDF)

Car2Go Goes Green in San Diego

July 13, 2011

Last month, Mayor Sanders stood before the first public electric-vehicle charging station in the nation, and vowed San Diego would lead the way to making the purchase and use of no-emission electric vehicles a practical choice for everyday San Diegans - not just hobbyists and environmentalists.

To that end, Mayor Sanders announced with Car2Go CEO Nicholas Cole that they will deploy the first all-electric fleet of shared vehicles in San Diego this fall. The choice by Car2Go validates the city’s commitment to being one of the first cities in the nation to provide a charging network that can support the widespread use of electric vehicles.

For those who’ve chosen a more walkable, urban lifestyle - but still need a vehicle for errands - this is an ideal solution.

Methane to Help Power Miramar

July 12, 2011

San Diego is committed to creative thinking on energy and environmental issues - and today’s groundbreaking at the Miramar landfill provides the perfect example.

This project calls for a private company - Fortistar LLC - to install dozens of wells that will capture methane gas from the landfill. The new power plant will use the captured methane gas to generate almost half of MCAS Miramar’s energy needs.

Everyone wins. The military reduces both its electricity costs and its environmental footprint by tapping into a renewable energy source. And the city makes money - an estimated $200,000 a year - by receiving a share of Fortistar’s revenue from the sale of this converted methane.

The city will also save up to $2 million in capital costs because Fortistar will install the wells at its own expense. These are wells the city would have needed to install on its own to prevent too much methane from seeping into the atmosphere.

Facing the Raid on Redevelopment

July 11, 2011

The State passed some terrible legislation last month that would shut down redevelopment agencies unless they cough up billions of dollars to the state to help it solve its financial mess.

In San Diego’s case, this means turning over an estimated $70 million this year, and $16 million every year thereafter - which translates into a 40 percent decrease in the amount of tax increment money available for important job-creating redevelopment projects.

As of right now, the state has stopped redevelopment activities across California, until cities decide if they are going to pay up or close down. This means that projects which are ready for approval right now cannot proceed.

A lawsuit is expected to be filed within the next couple of weeks to overturn the State’s action, but a resolution of this suit may take months or even years.

In the meantime, I am proposing that the City Council commit to paying the state in accordance with the legislation using funds provided by the redevelopment agencies. While there is no good alternative, I believe continuing redevelopment in some fashion is better than pulling the plug on it altogether. Should the lawsuit prevail, we will seek reimbursement from the State for whatever amount we will have already paid.

Testing a New Water Source

June 30, 2011

Mayor Jerry Sanders kicked off the start of a year-long pilot project that will determine the feasibility of converting wastewater into drinking water. The project comes at a time when the city is exploring all possible options to diversify its supply of drinking water.

To perform the pilot study, the city built a test facility at the North City Water Reclamation Plant, where the city purifies wastewater into so-called "reclaimed" water that can be used for industrial, landscaping and other non-drinking purposes. The new facility will purify this water even further - in theory, into water clean and safe enough to drink.

The finished product will be pumped back into the reclaimed water system after testing, meaning none of the water in this pilot study will be put into the city’s drinking supply. This year-long testing of one million gallons a day will provide scientific data that will help determine whether the process is clean and safe.

City Saves $1 Million Annually on Supplies

June 14, 2011

Mayor Jerry Sanders applauded the City Council for approving his plan to increase the city’s borrowing power by pooling its needs with those of other public agencies, thereby enabling the city to get better deals on hundreds of supplies.

In recent years, the city has spent roughly $11 million annually on hundreds of items ranging from electrical equipment to janitorial and landscaping supplies. By entering into these cooperative agreements, the city will lower those costs by roughly $1 million annually by combining its purchasing power with other public agencies in the market for the same goods.

These cooperative agreements will take effect July 1.

Mayor to MWD: Curb Travel Expenses

March 8, 2011

Mayor Jerry Sanders today called on the Metropolitan Water District's board of directors to reform the agency's travel policies after a San Diego Union-Tribune investigation revealed excessive travel expenditures, including high-end hotel rooms and meals with alcohol -- costs that ultimately are borne by water ratepayers throughout Southern California.

The wholesale cost of water has jumped by more than 60 percent over the past four years, requiring agencies that purchase water from MWD to pass through the costs to customers. Sanders urged the board to adopt travel guidelines based on the more frugal federal reimbursement levels, as San Diego has. Read the letter (PDF)

Big Box Veto

November 29, 2010

Mayor Sanders today vetoed the so-called Big Box Ordinance, which would have added an unnecessary layer of regulatory review for certain large retail outlets in San Diego. In the memo accompanying his veto, the mayor listed numerous reasons for his decision, including that the ordinance would limit shopping options for San Diegans; that it creates redundant processes, since the mayor and council already have a special review process for retail developments larger than 50,000 square feet, as well as a required fiscal impact and market analysis for proposed establishments over 100,000 square feet; and that it would create a competitive disadvantage for San Diego in its pursuit of sales tax revenue, with stores serving San Diego residents locating just outside the city limits. Read the mayor’s full veto memo here: http://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/pdf/101129bigbox.pdf (PDF)

Planning San Ysidro

July 2, 2010

The San Ysidro Community Plan Update Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting to begin discussing an update to the San Ysidro Community Plan on July 14. All community members are encouraged to participate.

The Update Committee will provide the city with feedback and advisory recommendations throughout the anticipated two-year plan update process.

Community plan updates identify a collective vision for addressing the challenges of growth, infrastructure, housing needs, transportation and public facilities. The San Ysidro Update Committee will provide a public forum for organized participation during the update process.

The Update Committee consists of a variety of community stakeholders, including residents, property owners, business owners and representatives and nonprofit/community organizations.

The plan-update process is expected to last up to 24 months and will conclude with final adoption of the new community plan, zoning ordinance, local coastal program and environmental document, as well as a potential Redevelopment Plan Amendment to expand the existing redevelopment boundaries.

July 14
5:30 p.m.
Recreation Center
212 West Park Avenue, San Ysidro

For more information about the meeting, contact Sara Lyons at (619) 236-6368 / slyons@sandiego.gov.

New Day for City News

June 16, 2010

Welcome to the new and improved Mayor's News Center site. With our newly designed site, we hope to make more information about the city's programs and initiatives available to the public.

The News Center will feature the main events of the day – events that would merit a press conference, for instance – as well as information on upcoming public works projects, new initiatives, major achievements by our city departments and other developments that affect our city's residents and businesses.

If you'd like to suggest an item or comment on what you read on the News Center, please email site editor Rachel Laing at rlaing@sandiego.gov.

Sunshine Power

June 16, 2010

The U.S. Department of Energy featured the city of San Diego's successful efforts to deploy renewable energy at its facilities, featuring two major installations at our water treatment plants.

The city of San Diego is on track to meet its goal of generating 5 megawatts of solar energy at city facilities by 2013. The city's most recent installation, at the Otay Mesa Water Treatment Plant, generates 945 kilowatts of electricity by the sun to power the processing of up to 34 million gallons of water each day.

Check out what the Department of Energy's "Energy Empowers" online publication had to say about the city's solar power deployment.

Hard Times for EZ?

June 16, 2010

A program that has a significant positive impact on local businesses is fighting for its life in the California Legislature. Senate Bill 974 threatens to gut California's 26-year-old Enterprise Zone (EZ) program, which offers tax credits to businesses for locating in economically disadvantaged areas and creating new jobs.

SB 974 would eliminate the program's hiring credit – a major boon to job creation – and make applying for the tax credits more onerous for businesses. The bill passed the state Senate on June 3 and is now going through the committee process in the Assembly. The city of San Diego is opposed to the bill as it is now and will work to ensure the program continues to benefit San Diego employers and workers.

You can find out more about San Diego's Enterprise Zones and the pending legislation at: www.sandiego.gov/economic-development/industry/enterprisezones.shtml and www.caez.org/.

Cost-neutrality for 9th Council Office

June 17, 2010

With the overwhelming approval of the Strong Mayor form of government, Proposition D on the June ballot, voters also approved adding a ninth City Council district beginning in January 2013. The City currently has eight Council members.

During the campaign, Mayor Jerry Sanders said there was no reason that taxpayers should be asked to pick up new costs with the addition of a ninth Council office. He said it was logical to maintain the same budget for Council administrative and staff expenses, but to divide the pot of money among nine offices instead of eight.

Two documents are expected to clarify how this goal of cost-neutrality can be achieved. They were requested on May 5, 2010, by Councilmembers Kevin Faulconer and Carl DeMaio, and should be released soon.

The first is an analysis by the Independent Budget Analyst. It will identify the options available to the City Council to make the addition of a Council office cost-neutral to taxpayers.

The second is a draft ordinance from the City Attorney's office. It would require that cost-neutrality be achieved through a reallocation of Council budgets to accommodate a ninth Council District.

During the Strong Mayor campaign, opponents argue that the cost of a new Council office was a reason to vote against the measure. Mayor Sanders heard frequently from voters who supported the Strong Mayor system, but not the increased cost to taxpayers. He is determined to see that outcome realized.

Proposition D, the Strong Mayor measure, passed with 61 percent of the vote.