Active Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Meeting - October 14, 2020
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Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting – October 14, 2020
The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the San Diego City Council met virtually on October 14, 2020, due to Executive Order N-29-20 suspending certain Brown Act requirements. The committee considered five agenda items, including consent items, budget adjustments for capital projects, construction change orders, a policy update on unimproved streets, and an informational report on the capital improvement program. All votes were unanimous.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1 and 2 (Freeway Agreement with Caltrans for State Route 163 and Design Cooperative Agreement with Caltrans/Engineering Services Contract for Palm Avenue and I-805 Interchange) were approved unanimously without discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-Agenda Public Comment:
- A North Park resident (Ms. Deller) urged the council not to approve $2 million for a pipeline project, arguing that restaurants need outdoor seating areas to survive during COVID-19 and that pipelines should not take precedence over restaurant survival.
- Lewis Rodolico criticized the influence of corporate money in politics, citing the Citizens United ruling and alleging that Westfield Mall lobbyists pitted neighbors against each other over road projects, resulting in delayed roads and increased deaths.
- Martha Wells expressed distrust in city leadership, claiming the city does not build projects, does not deposit checks, and still uses outdated website information.
- Item 3 (CIP Budget Adjustments):
- Martha Welch (caller) urged the city to complete projects and hire workers, criticizing Proposition B and pension issues.
- Item 4 (Construction Change Orders):
- Marissa Borges supported approval, emphasizing the need for road safety improvements and asking the city to accommodate both bike lanes and outdoor dining.
- Pat Sexton opposed the 30th Street funding, arguing it would hurt businesses and that bike lane money should come from SANDAG.
- Nicole Burgess supported completion of street work to help outdoor dining thrive.
- Matthew Vasilakis (Climate Action Campaign) supported the change order, stressing that resurfacing is separate from bike lanes and that protected bike infrastructure is critical for climate goals.
- Andy Hanshaw (San Diego County Bicycle Coalition) supported the resurfacing and bike lanes but urged coordination with outdoor dining.
- Ariana, a Day 3 resident, supported the change order for a more bikeable and walkable city.
- Item 5 (Unimproved Streets Policy):
- Matthew Vasilakis supported the policy amendments, stating all communities deserve safe infrastructure.
- Item 6 (State of CIP Report):
- Martha Wells commented on various projects, criticizing delays and questioning funding checks.
Discussion Items
- Item 3: Fiscal Year 2021 First Quarter CIP Consolidated Budget Adjustments
- Staff presented a request to add $6.9 million in new appropriations, reallocate $7.7 million from completed or closing projects, and reallocate another $7.7 million from various projects to fund emergency stormwater repairs (including G Street, First Avenue Bridge, and others). The $7.7 million would be diverted from the Coastal Rail Trail, streetlights, walkways, parks, and signal projects. Staff noted that lending projects would be backfilled with the next commercial paper issuance.
- The IBA (Jillian Kate) highlighted that $7.7 million is being diverted from planned projects, continuing a trend of emergency stormwater projects displacing high-priority work. In FY2020, $26 million was allocated to stormwater emergencies.
- Committee members expressed concern about repeated emergency diversions. Vice Chair Ward requested staff find $500,000 elsewhere to avoid delaying a traffic signal at Alcalm Boulevard and Kansas (a Vision Zero intersection). Councilmember Kate asked about the commercial paper timeline; Finance staff said it would take a few months, likely in the fall. Councilmember Moreno requested that the resolution include a clause stating the intent to refund diverted projects with commercial paper. The motion was amended to include that clause.
- Item 4: Approval of Construction Change Orders (CCOs) for Various CIP Projects
- Staff requested change orders for three projects: Water Group 939 ($1.4 million for unforeseen tunneling obstacles), 38th Street Pipeline Replacement ($2.6 million for additional resurfacing and striping, including a bike lane on 30th Street from Polk to Juniper), and La Jolla Scenic Drive Pipeline ($728,713 for additional water main installation to improve system reliability).
- Committee members discussed coordinating with businesses and the North Park Main Street association to minimize impacts on outdoor dining. Vice Chair Ward asked staff to continue working with the community; staff agreed.
- Item 5: Updates to Council Policy 200-01 Regarding Unimproved Streets
- Councilmember Moreno’s staff (Eddie Padilla) presented proposed policy changes to allow the city to fund improvements to unimproved streets and alleys (dirt or semi-paved roads not up to city standards). The city has 33.1 miles of unimproved streets and 28.07 miles of unimproved alleys, disproportionately in Council Districts 4 (10.57 miles) and 8 (12.79 miles). Upgrading one mile can cost $10–15 million. The proposed policy creates an exception for improvement, contingent on available funding, and clarifies that unimproved streets will continue at current maintenance levels until upgraded. The IBA noted total cost to improve all 61 miles could be in the mid-to-high hundreds of millions. Committee members expressed support, noting the policy addresses historical inequity. The city attorney (Cassandra Moogen) advised that the policy does not commit the city unequivocally to upgrade all streets.
- Item 6: Fiscal Year 2020 Year-End State of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Report (Informational)
- Staff presented the annual review, noting that total CIP expenditures reached $584 million in FY2020, more than double FY2014 levels. Key highlights: Pure Water Phase 1 design completed, 37 of 50 promised parks built, 190 miles of street repairs completed, water main replacement met its five-year goal (163.4 miles awarded), sewer main replacement beat its goal (217.3 miles). The report also discussed emergency projects ($33.9 million total, $20.3 million for stormwater), a 20% staff vacancy rate, and ongoing process streamlining. Committee members thanked staff; Councilmember Moreno requested analysis of a potential stormwater enterprise fund and expressed opposition to reducing council authority on contract awards.
Key Outcomes
- Item 3: Motion to approve the budget adjustments, with an amendment to include a resolution clause expressing intent to refund diverted projects through the next commercial paper issuance. Passed unanimously.
- Item 4: Motion to approve the construction change orders. Passed unanimously.
- Item 5: Motion to approve the proposed revisions to Council Policy 200-01 and forward the item to the full City Council. Passed unanimously.
- Item 6: Informational only; no vote required.
Meeting Transcript
Please pass it on carry down. Oh, you need those how more looking for Zahom. So back tonight. Wait, say it's right. What says the wings all back in the place? What we need is what we won't miss. Town won't sixty. Don't you leave me there on him? Come on. Testing. We marked this in my week, we give it away down you, but we are ready when you are. Okay, we're good to go. You're good, we're streaming. Okay. Good afternoon for executive order twenty-nine-twenty, which suspends certain requirements for the Brown Act. Council members today will be participating by a Zoom and no members of the public will be in attendance to the meetings in the interest of public health and safety. In addition, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website. And the committee of the committee who is on has made arrangements for the public to comment by phone in electronically. We appreciate the public's cooperation as always. Each council member is attending virtually via Zoom, which includes Vice Chair Ward, Councilmember Kate, and Councilmember Moreno. Also on the Zoom call is City Attorney Representative Tina Ray, IBA Representative Jillian Casey, Mayor Representative Conrad Ware, and as always our committee consultant Justin Garber. The public may call in following the instructions posted on the agenda by calling 619 541 6310 and entering conference ID 877 861 pound to be placed in the queue for public comment. You should do this when the item that you wish to speak to is introduced. Please do not call in prior to that time. Our committee consultant Justin will announce when the public comment period is open for an item, and a slide will go up on City TV. When the phone queue is empty, the public comment period will be closed. This same process will be used for each agendized item. When you're in the queue, you will be able to hear the meeting and all others that are providing comment. You will know that it is your turn to speak when you hear the system prompt saying your phone has been unmuted. When you hear the prompt, immediately state your name and make your comment. Then hang up. Each speaker will have one minute for agendized item and two minutes for non-agenda comment. Also, please mute the volume on your TV or computer before you speak. If you call in during a non-comment period, your call will not be taken. Please monitor the meeting and ensure that you are calling in at the appropriate time. The public may be the meetings on public television on City TV, Channel 24 for Cox Communication, and Time Warner Spectrum, or Channel 99 for ATT, or view the meeting online by going to the City Council Committee homepage at Sandiego.gov and selecting the City TV Live Webcast blue button on the right hand side of the page. A quorum of the committee is now present, and so we'll dispense with the approval of the committee actions. The actions before you for approval are for our meeting of September 16th, 2020. Uh, do I have a motion to approve the actions? I'll move. Sound like Mr. Ward, I will uh second that. Uh we'll now have each council member register their vote. Vice Chair Ward. Yes. Councilmember Kate. Yes. And Councilmember Moran. Yes. Very good.
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