The busy week at City Council continues with four committee meetings being held this week. Audit will hear a report on Fire-Rescue overtime. ED&IR will consider extending cannabis outlet opening hours. Rules will vote on whether to initiate support for state bills creating a Polluters Pay fund. Environment will review a Coastal Resilience Master Plan.

From the Office of Council President Joe LaCava

Audit Committee Meeting – June 11, 2025 – 9 a.m.

Audit Committee Meeting Agenda

Consent Agenda

Item 1 – Approval of Committee Minutes

Item 2 - Authorization to Extend Contract for External Audit Service

On July 12, 2018, the City issued RFP No. 10089378-19-L and, in 2019, executed a contract with Macias Gini and O'Connell LLP (MGO) to provide external audit services related to the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Single Audit, and other audit services.

The Office of the City Auditor is requesting approval to extend the term of the contract for an additional period so that required work can be completed. No additional compensation is being requested, which means the total not-to-exceed amount will remain $2,629,588.

Discussion Agenda

Item 3 - Performance Audit of Fire-Rescue Overtime

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s (Fire-Rescue) public safety service is crucial and one of the City of San Diego’s top priorities. Fire-Rescue uses overtime to ensure it can respond to emergency fire and medical calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Office of the City Auditor conducted a performance audit with three objectives:

1. Determine what factors contribute most to Fire-Rescue’s overtime costs and if there are opportunities to reduce costs;
2. Determine if Fire-Rescue’s current staffing model is optimized to meet its service-level requirements;
3. Determine if there are opportunities to improve the overtime budgeting process

The proposed action for this item is for the Audit Committee to accept the report with findings and recommendations and forward it to the City Council as an informational item.

Item 4 - Performance Audit of the City’s Trash, Recycling and Organics Collection and Handling

To combat landfill waste’s negative effects, the City set a target to divert 75% of all waste from landfills by 2020 and 100 percent by 2040. However, the City has not met its targets. The City’s oversight of private waste haulers (haulers) is critical to achieving these targets since the haulers collect the majority of the waste in San Diego.

1. Determine if the City’s franchise hauler agreements ensure compliance with the City’s Zero Waste Plan goals, Climate Action Plan goals, and other relevant state and local regulations
2. Determine if the City’s fee structure for waste, recycling, and organics collection and disposal conducted by franchise haulers ensures compliance with the City’s Zero Waste Plan goals, Climate Action Plan goals, and other relevant state and local regulations and goals
3. Determine if the City’s oversight of the franchise hauler agreements ensure compliance with the City’s Zero Waste Plan goals, Climate Action Plan goals, relevant state and local regulations, and required fees

The proposed action for this item is for the Audit Committee to accept the report.

Information Agenda

Item 5 - City Auditor’s Monthly Activity Report

This Monthly Activity Report provides information about the Office of the City Auditor’s activities between April and May 2025. This includes audit reports issued, the status of current audit projects, and a list of planned audits that have not yet started.

Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting – June 11, 2025 – 2 p.m.

ED & IR Committee Meeting Agenda

Consent Agenda

Item 1 – Approval of Committee Minutes

Item 2 - Proposed Third Amendment to Lease between Neighborhood House Association and the City of San Diego – 475 West Broadway – Columbia neighborhood of the Downtown Community Plan Area

The City is the owner of the property at 475 West Broadway and has leased it to the Neighborhood House Association (NHA) since 2020.

The proposed Third Amendment to the Lease between the City and NHA will allow NHA to continue to maintain its Head Start/childcare program for an additional period as the City plans to initiate efforts in the near future to seek affordable housing developers to develop the site in accordance with State of California’s Surplus Land Act (SLA), redevelopment dissolution law provisions, and City policy.

Discussion Agenda

Item 3 - Approval of the Fiscal Year 2026 San Diego Tourism Marketing District Report of Activities

This item requests approval of the Fiscal Year 2026 San Diego Tourism Marketing District Report of Activities with an anticipated budget total of $62,243,616 including projected and prior year assessments and reserved funds and authorization for the Chief Financial Officer to appropriate and expend associated funding (contingent on availability) and recover City administration expenses.

Item 4 - Operating and Management Agreement between the City of San Diego and Downtown San Diego Partnership, Inc. for the Renewed Downtown Property and Business Improvement District

The term of the existing Property and Business Improvement District (PBID or District) Operating and Management Agreement with Downtown San Diego Partnership, Inc. (the “Partnership”) is set to expire June 30, 2025. The PBID renewal was passed by vote of property owners in January 2025 for a ten (10) year term. The City Council may now authorize a new 10-year Operating and Management Agreement with the Partnership.

This Council action initiates the process to enter into a new Operating and Management Agreement to continue the services to property owners in the PBID.

Item 5 - Amendment to Hours of Operation for Cannabis Outlets

This proposal aims to align the City of San Diego’s regulations with those of the State of California by extending the hours of operation for permitted cannabis outlets within the City of San Diego by two hours per day. Currently, the City's operating hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., which are more restrictive than the hours permitted by the State of California. This proposal seeks to extend business hours by one hour in the morning (opening at 6:00 a.m.) and one hour in the evening (closing at 10:00 p.m.). The recommended change aims to enhance economic opportunities, increase tax revenue, and align San Diego’s regulations more closely with those of the State.

Information Agenda

Item 6 - Insights from the Nonprofit Institute: How Federal Executive Orders Are Reshaping Our Local Nonprofit Landscape

Representatives from the Nonprofit Institute will provide a presentation for elected officials on how recent federal executive orders are impacting the nonprofit sector in San Diego. The presentation will explore the implications for local service providers, funding opportunities, and policy alignment.

Special Rules Committee Meeting – June 12, 2025 –  10 a.m.

Committee Meeting Agenda

Item 1 – Approval of Committee Minutes

Item 2 - Resolution Supporting Polluters Pay Climate Superfund of 2025 (SB 684 and AB 1243)

The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025 (SB 684 and AB 1243) is a legislative proposal in the California Senate and Assembly aimed at holding major fossil fuel companies financially accountable for climate-related damages within the state.

Introduced by Senator Caroline Menjivar and Assemblymember Dawn Addis, the act seeks to establish a state-managed fund to address the escalating costs of climate disasters, such as wildfires and floods, which have increasingly burdened California taxpayers.

This item would recommend that the Office of Council President Joe LaCava work with the Office of the City Attorney to draft a resolution supporting the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund of 2025 (SB 684 and AB 1243), based on the draft resolution attached by Youth V. Oil.

Item 3 - Resolution Supporting a Package of State Bills Addressing Utility Affordability and Accountability

Several state bills in the California Senate and Assembly aim to lower utility costs and hold investor-owned utility companies accountable. This action affirms the San Diego City Council’s support for these bills, collectively referenced to as the Utility Affordability and Accountability Legislative Package and described below.

This item would recommend that the Office of Council President Joe LaCava work with the Office of the City Attorney to draft a resolution supporting a package of state bills addressing utility affordability and accountability.

Item 4 - Language Access and Community Inclusion/Engagement Update

Language is more than a tool for communication—it is a gateway to civic participation and trust in government. This report details our current language access services, their legal underpinnings, community benefits, challenges we are addressing, and the strategic path forward to ensure a more inclusive and accessible city government.

Environment Committee Meeting – June 12, 2025 –  1 p.m.

Committee Meeting Agenda

Consent Agenda

Item 1 – Approval of Committee Minutes

Item 2 - Authorization to Execute a Contract with JCI Jones Chemicals, Inc. (ITB 10090233-25-J) to purchase Sodium Hypochlorite for Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities

This item requests authorization to execute a one year contract with the option to renew for four additional one-year terms with JCI Jones Chemicals, Inc. to purchase sodium hypochlorite for Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities.

Item 3 - Authorization to Execute a Contract with Pencco, Inc. (ITB 10090284-25-H) to purchase Ferric Chloride at the North City Water Reclamation Plant

This item requests authorization to execute a one year contract with the option to renew for four additional one-year terms with Pencco, Inc. to purchase ferric chloride at the North City Water Reclamation Plant.

Item 4 - First Amendment to the Contract with Polydyne Inc. (ITB 10089845-22-J) to purchase Anionic Polymer at the North City Water Reclamation Plant

This item requests authorization to execute a First Amendment to the contract with Polydyne, Inc. (ITB 10089845-22-J) to purchase anionic polymer at the North City Water Reclamation Plant.

Discussion Agenda

Item 5 - Coastal Resilience Master Plan and Program Environmental Impact Report

The Coastal Resilience Master Plan is an implementation action of Climate Resilient SD, the City of San Diego’s climate adaptation and resilience plan, aimed at addressing the growing risk of coastal flooding and erosion. Sea levels in the region are projected to rise significantly this century and storm surges and extreme tides are already impacting our coastline.

The City of San Diego is prioritizing a nature[1]based solution approach, where feasible, to mitigate risks, protect vital ecosystems and enhance community resilience.

This item would recommend adoption of the Coastal Resilience Master Plan

Information Items

Item 6 - Status Update on the Utilities Undergrounding Program

The City of San Diego’s Utilities Undergrounding Program (UUP), administered by the Transportation Department, endeavors to convert overhead utility lines in San Diego’s right of way to underground service.

This is an informational item to present a status update of the Utilities Undergrounding Program.

---

To participate in the meeting, click on the agenda and follow the instructions. 

You can watch the meeting on cable TV channel 24 or AT&T channel 99, or  stream it online. 

Join our mailing list and get "The People's Business" delivered to your inbox. Find an index of past posts.

Follow us on Threads for live updates of items during the meetings.

Para leer este artículo en español, presione el enlace de traducción sobre la barra de búsqueda en la parte superior de la página.

To read this article in Spanish or a variety of other languages, please click on the ‘Translate’ link at the top right of the site above the ‘Search’ bar.