After today's regular City Council meeting, there are two more meetings this week, both happening on Wednesday. At 9 a.m., the Council's Audit Committee will hold its monthly meeting, and in a special meeting at 2 p.m., the Council will inch closer to being done with the City's sale of Mission Valley land to SDSU.

If you'd like more detail on anything summarized here, click the agenda, then click on the item. Over on the right side of the page, you'll see links to a staff report and other pieces of supporting material.

Due to COVID-19, only City staff and credentialed members of the press may attend these meetings in person. However, anyone can participate and make comments by dialing 619-541-6310 and entering the access code 877861 followed by # when the item you're interested in comes up (full call-in instructions). Watch the meetings on cable TV channel 24 or AT&T channel 99, or stream them online.

City Council -- Wednesday, June 17

Even though the Audit Committee meeting happens first, we'll start with the Council's special meeting, because the one item on the agenda is a big one.

It's the City's sale of land in Mission Valley to SDSU! We're almost there, you guys! 

In November 2018, San Diego voters passed Measure G, directing the City of San Diego and SDSU to negotiate the land sale so that the university can create SDSU Mission Valley. The project would include a 35,000-capacity stadium and innovation district to support SDSU’s education, research, entrepreneurial, technology, and athletics programs, as well as 86 acres of parks and open space including a 32-acre River Park; approximately 4,600 residences, 400 hotel rooms, 95,000 square feet of community-serving retail space; and enhanced use of the MTS Green Line Stadium Trolley Station and accommodation of the planned Purple Line.

Stretching back into 2019, the two parties have been negotiating a purchase and sale agreement, which has been presented to the City Council in various forms on a number of occasions. 

During tomorrow's meeting, the Council will be asked to approve two resolutions relating to environmental review of the project, a third resolution designating the River Park land for park and recreation use, and two ordinances. One of the ordinances approves SDSU's affordable housing plan and exempts it from the City's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance; the other one is the big one -- the approval of the purchase and sale agreement.

The base purchase price of the land is $86.2 million. The final purchase price will depend on the application of a Time Value Index Factor and when escrow closes.

The ordinances passed tomorrow will need to come back to the Council for a second "reading" (a second vote). That should be the final action. Then there's a 30-day wait period before the Mayor can sign the sale agreement. Then the sale goes into escrow, which could close around the beginning of September. Then SDSU can start to put shovels in the ground.

Audit Committee -- Wednesday, June 17

Wednesday's Audit Committee agenda starts with the search for a new City Auditor. 

What is a City Auditor? Glad you asked. The Auditor is the City's internal watchdog, using performance audits, financial audits, and special investigations to independently assess and report on City operations and services. The Auditor reports to the Audit Committee, which is composed of two City Council members and three qualified members of the public.

The City hasn't had a permanent Auditor since Eduardo Luna resigned in September 2018. Interim City Auditor Kyle Elser has been holding down the fort in the meantime. 

Under Measure D, which San Diego voters passed overwhelmingly in March of this year but has not yet taken effect, the Audit Committee will recruit candidates for the position and recommend the top three to the City Council. The new Auditor may serve up to two five-year terms. 

On Wednesday, the Committee will provide direction to the Independent Budget Analyst's office, which will assist in the recruitment, on the initiation of the search.

What else is up? Again, glad you asked:

• Performance Audit of the City’s Public Liability Management: The Auditor will present to the Committee a report on the City's management of risk and liability. The report found that the City’s approach to public-liability mitigation is "largely decentralized, reactive, and likely results in higher liability claims and costs than necessary" and that a more proactive approach "will enable the City to better anticipate and mitigate risks to the City’s major strategic goals." The Auditor will detail these findings and discuss the report's nine recommendations.
• Performance Audit of the Mission Bay and San Diego Regional Parks Improvement Funds: Under the City Charter, the Auditor is required to compile an annual report on the Mission Bay and the San Diego Regional Parks improvement funds’ revenues, expenses, and improvements. This is that, for the fiscal year that went from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.
• IT Performance Audit of Citywide Data Classification and Sensitive Data Encryption: The Auditor will discuss for the committee the City's efforts to manage, inventory, and classify the enormous volume of data that its departments generate. The report concludes that while the Performance and Analytics Department (nicknamed "PANDA"), the Department of Information Technology, and the Office of the City Clerk are making significant progress in improving data management, "these efforts require stronger coordination to ensure their individual efforts benefit the City’s data management objectives as a whole."
• City Auditor’s Recommendation Follow-Up Report: This is a periodic report on how the City is doing in implementing recommendations the Auditor has made.
• City Auditor’s Monthly Activity Report: Self-explanatory.

Next on the legislative calendar is the June 23 regular City Council meeting. Stay tuned. Stay informed. Stay engaged.

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