San Diego ATI Committee Meeting - June 26, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Meeting Summary
The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee convened on June 26, 2024, at 10:00 AM. Chair Whitburn presided. Key actions included approving consent items (contract extensions, grant acceptance) and a major program management contract for dam safety. Public comment addressed a range of topics including infrastructure funding, marijuana advertising, and dam safety oversight.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the committee meeting minutes of May 22, 2024 (4-0).
- Approved consent agenda (4-0) consisting of:
- First amendments to transportation engineering services agreements with Parsons Transportation Group Inc. and Kimley-Horn and Associates, and a second amendment to the as-needed civil contract with Parsons Transportation Group.
- Award of three civil engineering services as-needed agreements.
- Cypress Drive grant funds acceptance and conversion of Cypress Drive to a one-way alley. (Speakers supported item 3, noting community-led cultural corridor efforts in San Ysidro.)
Public Comments & Testimony
-
Non‑agenda public comment:
- Terry Ann Skelly (parent) urged the committee to acknowledge the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana and drugs, citing that 21–24 year‑olds account for 27% of fatal alcohol‑ and marijuana‑impaired crashes.
- A speaker (phone # ending 7968) raised concerns about a $1.6 billion CIP funding gap and requested clarity on a stormwater revenue measure, including maintenance tasks and oversight.
- Becky Rapp (parent/public health educator) advocated for a ban on marijuana billboards, citing false health claims and risks to children and drivers. She supported organizations like Every Brain Matters.
- Blair Beekman urged openness and accountability, criticizing the use of euphemisms such as “sports utility lighting” for technology deployments.
- Another speaker (the original) questioned equity regarding vehicle miles traveled reduction policies, suggesting a fee for cross‑border travelers to offset GHG impacts.
-
Consent agenda public comment:
- Goya Ortiz (Casa Familiar) expressed support for item 3 (Cypress Drive alley conversion), describing it as a long‑standing community‑led cultural corridor project that connects to the trolley station. She thanked city engineers for accessibility.
- Blair Beekman supported items 1 and 3, emphasizing the need for transparent tech deployment in Vision Zero and bike projects.
- Another speaker (the original) criticized the consent items as ambiguous and potentially burdensome, arguing that road changes and parking reductions can increase vehicle miles traveled, and expressed concerns about a “15‑minute city” agenda.
-
Item 4 public comment:
- Blair Beekman referenced past flood issues and urged San Diego to learn from San Jose’s response to dam overflow, stressing accountability.
- The original speaker expressed concerns about neglected infrastructure and the $1 billion cost, questioning funding sources and implying resource control motives.
- A speaker (phone # 7968) emphasized the need for consistent oversight in dam safety, approved the GEI contract, and urged manageable water rates.
Discussion Items
Item 4: Dam Safety Program Management Services Agreement with GEI Consultants
- Presentation: PUD Director Juan Guerrero and his team presented the need for a 10‑year, $100 million as‑needed program management contract with GEI Consultants. They noted that the city’s dams average 92 years old, six dams are in fair/poor/unsatisfactory condition, and DSOD has mandated water‑level restrictions on four reservoirs limiting storage to 80% of capacity. Approximately $1 billion is needed over decades.
- Committee discussion:
- Vice Chair Lacava questioned the wisdom of a single 10‑year contract, risking limited flexibility and consultant availability (only two RFP responses). Staff and the Mayor’s office defended the programmatic approach for consistency and regulatory management.
- Councilmember Foster asked about subcontractor participation, wage determinations, rate escalations (capped at 3% annually), and the ability to competitively bid future work if needed. Staff confirmed the contract includes non‑exclusivity clauses and that prevailing wage rates will be updated at task order solicitation.
- Councilmember Von Wilpert inquired about water tanks (Rancho Bernardo, Black Mountain) included in the program due to DSOD classification, Lake Hodges replacement timelines (10% design by September 2024, design contract coming in July), and cost‑sharing with the County Water Authority (50% for Hodges).
- Chair Whitburn questioned whether all 11 dams are necessary given water conservation; staff welcomed the opportunity to study strategic decommissioning as part of the programmatic analysis.
- Funding: Year 1 costs estimated at $5–7 million, included in FY2025 adopted budget. Long‑term funding from water enterprise funds, with active pursuit of $296 million in federal/state loans and grants.
Key Outcomes
- Vote: Item 4 approved unanimously (4‑0). Motion by Vice Chair Lacava, second by Chair Whitburn.
- Informal commitments: Staff agreed to provide annual updates to the committee on dam safety program progress and Lake Hodges replacement efforts.
- Next Steps: The committee noted that future dam‑related design and construction contracts would be brought before them separately (e.g., Hodges Dam replacement design services in July).
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Act of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting of June twenty-sixth, twenty twenty-four. Our committee liaison, Sarah Jordan, will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. Sarah, please proceed. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. Council Member Foster. Councilmember Von Wilpert. Chair Whitburn. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669-2545252 and when prompted, input webinar ID 160-976-1371 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and it will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak to a particular item, please wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you are a call in participant by selecting star nine on your cell phone or landline. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you, Sarah. A quorum is now present. Uh we will now take up the approval of the committee meeting minutes of May 22nd, 2024. Sarah, please proceed with public comment. Thank you, Chair. We have not received any speaker slips here in the committee room, but we have a few hands raised in the virtual queue. So I will begin the five minute timer for all those to indicate if they wish to speak to the past committee minutes. We will begin with Blair Beekman. Please unmute yourself and provide your comment on the past committee minutes. You will have one minute. Hi, Blair Beekman. Thanks for the meeting today. Um working uh from the previous side from the previous meeting on um uh vehicle regulations with uh MTS uh taxi cab uh uh I think ride sharing things and uh crest bikeway standag things. Uh those are two interesting items to myself, and I've mentioned a previous uh you hadn't uh the item was brought to council yesterday, the item about taxicab uh ride sharing programs. I think uh possibilities within San Diego. Uh an interesting concept. Thank you for it that we're working on it here in San Diego. I hope we can always make uh these sort of subjects more open and clear and public and understandable. Uh it's an important item to be working towards, and uh thanks for your efforts. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is the original. Please unmute yourself and provide your comment on the past committee minutes. You will have one minute. Yeah, this is an interesting building that you guys are in. I don't know where that's at. Um yeah, I wanted to say that um whoever was recording the minutes, it was seeming like there was a little bit more information that was given on what people were talking about, a little more for some than others, but um I think it's just important that we continue to um be transparent with the people and make sure that um the minutes actually accurately re uh record what actually was said, and a lot of times um that doesn't happen because it'll be you know just a little few short snippets. So I think it's nice to have you know a couple of sentences about what the individual was saying so that it's on record and it doesn't kind of just get lost uh in translation because of the person taking the information down could be skewing it. So as long as it's um you know accurate to what the people say and uh more of it, that's great. So kudos. Thank you for your testimony and chair with no other hands in the virtual queue that will conclude public comment on the past committee minutes. Thank you, Sarah. We'll now turn it over to committee members for any questions or comments on the minutes, and we'll entertain a motion to approve the minutes if there is one. We have a motion from committee member Von Wilpert, and we have a second from Vice Chair Lakava. Any further discussion? Seeing none, Sarah, please call the roll. And Chair that passes unanimously 4-0.
openpublica.com