Two San Diego City Council Committees meet this week. Rules Committee will further review a ballot measure for empty second home and vacation rental tax. Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hear a dam safety update and vote on a contract for inspection, maintenance, and repair of the city’s dams.

From the Office of Council President Joe LaCava

Rules Committee Meeting – January 28, 2026 – 9 a.m.

Rules Committee Meeting Agenda

Consent Agenda

Item 1 – Approval of Committee Minutes

Discussion Agenda

Item 2 - Initial Consideration of a Ballot Measure submitted by Shane Harris for free public parking at Balboa Park on Sundays

Council Policy 000-21 establishes procedures for the submittal of ballot proposals to the City Council by members of the public, Councilmembers, the Mayor or mayoral departments, independent department directors, or a public agency. This item is the initial discussion of a proposed ballot measure submitted in accordance with Council Policy 000-21 by the October 24, 2025 deadline for consideration for the June 2026 primary election.

The Rules Committee will consider the proposal by Shane Harris for free public parking at Balboa Park on Sundays and determine if the proposal will receive subsequent review and a second discussion at a future Rules Committee meeting.

Item 3 - Amendments to the San Diego Municipal Code related to the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education district primary elections

In November 2024, the voters approved a San Diego Charter amendment to amend Charter section 66 to eliminate the primary election for San Diego Unified School District Board of Education seats when two or fewer candidates, including qualified write-in candidates, file for a particular office.

These changes to the San Diego Municipal Code are clean up to align it to the changes in the Charter section and the existing practices of the Registrar under the Education Code.

Item 4 - Further Committee Review Of A Ballot Measure Proposal By Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera Regarding an Empty Second Home and Vacation Rental Tax

This item is the second consideration of a proposed ballot measure regarding an excise tax on empty second homes and vacation rentals to raise General Fund revenue.

Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera proposes the Empty Second Home and Vacation Rental Tax, a general tax ballot measure to be placed on the June 2026 ballot in the City of San Diego. This tax would not apply to homes being used as owner-occupied primary residences or rental properties, solely homes whose owners have chosen to use them as empty second homes or vacation rentals. There will be additional exemptions to avoid unintended consequences for San Diego residents.

The City Attorney’s Office has prepared draft ballot language for discussion, which is subject to change following Committee input and further legal review and analysis prior to being placed on the ballot by the City Council.

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Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting – January 29, 2026 – 1 p.m.

ATI Committee Meeting Agenda

Consent Agenda

Item 1 – Approval of Committee Minutes

Item 2 - Request an extension of construction contract K-21-1968-DBB-3 with TC Construction Inc. for the construction of Sewer & AC Water Group 763 project

This council action is to request an extension of Construction Contract #K-21-1968-DBB-3 with TC Construction, Inc. for the construction of Sewer and AC Water Group 763 project. Per Article VII, Section 99 of the City of San Diego Charter: “No contract, agreement or obligation extending for a period of more than five years may be authorized except by Ordinance adopted by a two-thirds’ majority vote of the members elected to the Council”.

This Council action would approve an ordinance to extend the contract above by an additional 18 months.

Item 3 - Authorization of Construction Change Order No. 1 for the South Chollas Yard Emergency Repairs for Emergency Sole Source Contract K-25-2402-EMR-3

This request is to authorize Change Order No. 1 for contract K-25-2402-EMR-3 between the City of San Diego and Orion Construction Corporation. This action will increase the not-to-exceed value of the contract by $2,5000,000.00, which will increase the total amount of the contract to $12,302,940.00 to complete the emergency inactive landfill repairs.

This project is in Council District 4, in the Mid-City Eastern community. An odor was detected in the Chollas Operations Yard employee parking lot located above the waste footprint of the South Chollas Landfill. The Environmental Services Department was notified on August 7, 2024, to investigate and determine the cause of the odor.

Upon further investigation, it was determined that a crack in the asphalt of the employee parking lot was emitting methane in some areas that exceeded regulatory thresholds. A comprehensive assessment, known as a Settlement Study, of the cover and infrastructure was conducted to identify the necessary improvements to the South Chollas Landfill footprint.

Item 4 - Contribution Agreement with the City of Chula Vista for Heritage Road Bridge T-16.2

This item would authorize the City of San Diego to contribute $2,000,000 for the replacement of the Heritage Road Bridge, which spans the Otay River and connects major regional destinations between the City of San Diego and the City of Chula Vista. The bridge replacement project, managed by Chula Vista, supports the buildout of the Otay Mesa community and completes a project identified in the Otay Mesa Public Facilities Financing Plan.

Item 5 - Request for the Extension of Construction Contract K-21-1870-DBB-3 with Blue Pacific Engineering and Construction for University Avenue Mobility Project

This item requests the extension of construction contract K-21-1870-DBB-3 with Blue Pacific Engineering and Construction for University Avenue Mobility Project.

This Contract was entered on April 26, 2021, for an amount of $4,987,003.30, which was later amended to $6,150,652.22. The scope of work includes removal of an existing traffic signal; installation of three new traffic signals, streetlights, raised median, curb ramps, pedestrian barricades, enhanced pedestrian crossings, and pedestrian countdown signal heads, modifications to the traffic signal and streetlight systems; signing and stripping to provide for left-turn pockets and transit/right-turn only lanes, consolidation of transit stops.

Discussion Agenda

Item 6 - Creation of an Annual Allocation for the Convention Center Modernization Projects and Approval of the FY26 Itemized Budget for the Convention Center Revenue Account Under Measure C

This action authorizes the creation of an annual allocation to fund Convention Center Modernization Projects and approves the Fiscal Year 2026 itemized budget for the Convention Center Revenue Account under Measure C.

The proposed actions seek authorization to appropriate a portion of these projected revenues for certain Convention Center critical near-term capital improvement projects in Fiscal Year 2026. The remaining projected revenues are expected to be allocated for the completion of these projects and other eligible uses, including the Convention Center expansion, operations, support activities, and business development programs, through future council actions.

Item 7 - Third Addendum to the Third Amended and Restated Management Agreement between the City of San Diego and the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, Inc., and the Designation of specific future Convention Center capital improvement projects as ”Covered Projects” under the Project Labor Agreement

The proposed actions would authorize the Mayor to delegate delivery of budgeted Convention Center CIP projects to the San Diego Convention Center Corporation (SDCCC) through a third addendum to the Management Agreement, allowing SDCCC to manage and execute the projects with a defined contribution from the City.

The actions would also authorize the Chief Financial Officer to transfer Convention Center funds to SDCCC as needed to support project delivery.

Item 8 - Ratification of Twenty-three (23) Emergency Sole Source Contracts for Fiscal Year 2025

This item would ratify 23 Emergency Sole Source Construction Contracts that were initiated in Fiscal Year 2025 pursuant to section 22.3108 of the San Diego Municipal Code.

Public Works Projects contracts may be awarded without advertisement to address public safety and health issues due to extraordinary fire, flood, storm, and other disasters, provided that the Mayor immediately reports the emergency award to the City Council and the City Council subsequently ratifies the award by resolution of a two-thirds vote.

Item 9 - Award of the As-Needed Dam Design Services Agreements with HDR Engineering, Inc. (H2426347-M) and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (H2426348-M)

This action is to award two as-needed agreements with HDR Engineering, Inc. and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (H2426347-M & H2426348-M) to provide as-needed professional design services for dam infrastructure projects in an amount not-to-exceed $75,000,000 per agreement over 10 years and related funding actions.

The City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department requires long-term, as-needed professional services to support engineering design and construction-phase engineering support for PUD’s Dam Safety Program projects.

These services are critical to ensuring continued compliance with California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams regulations, and public safety and the reliability of the City’s water supply. The City owns and operates 11 dams and two water tanks regulated by DSOD. Nine dams are part of the City’s raw water system, playing a vital role in impounding, collecting, and storing water for delivery to PUD’s treatment plants and distribution to City customers.

Many of these structures are among the oldest in California and have reached or passed their intended lifespans. They require ongoing inspection, assessment, maintenance, repair, and investments to remain safe and functional.

Information Items

Item 10 - Dam Safety Program-Annual Update 2024-2025

This item provides an overview of the City of San Diego’s dam infrastructure, State dam safety regulations, and summarizes the comprehensive, programmatic approach the Public Utilities Department (PUD) is establishing to support the Dam Safety Program.

In addition, this item provides an overview of PUD’s progress in operating and maintaining its dam infrastructure, conducting condition assessments, and planning and implementing near- and long-term repairs and replacements. These efforts are critical to ongoing public safety and dam performance.

Item 11 - Annual Transportation Department Update

The Transportation Department (TD) is responsible for: the operation and maintenance of nearly all infrastructure in the public right-of-way including streets, sidewalks, traffic signals, and street trees; performing traffic safety and service evaluations and engineering analysis of traffic data; managing the Utilities Undergrounding Program; planning and coordinating work in the right-of-way including management of the Street Preservation Ordinance; and keeping communities clean and safe through weed abatement and graffiti cleanup. Through its work, TD builds out the City’s multimodal network, moves people and goods through it, and maintains the network’s public right-of-way, all of which help provide safe and efficient travel across the city for all modes of transit.

This annual update to the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee provides a summary of the various assets within TD’s sections, highlights accomplishments during FY25 and FY26, discusses the challenges TD faces with staffing and resources, and outlines the Department's goals and needs looking ahead to FY27.

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