Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting – January 30, 2025
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Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting – January 30, 2025
The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the San Diego City Council met on January 30, 2025, at 1:00 PM. The meeting was chaired by Councilmember Whitburn and included Vice Chair Council President Pro Tem Lee, Councilmember Foster, and Councilmember Von Wilpert. The committee considered consent items, an informational parking study, and three discussion items regarding development impact fees, emergency contracts, and contract time extensions.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the consent agenda (items 1–3) unanimously (4-0). Item 1: Approval of committee minutes from November 13, 2024. Item 2: Adoption of final environmental impact report and third amendment with Burns & McDonnell for the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Restoration Phase 1. Item 3: Extension of job order contract for sewer and water work. Councilmember Von Wilpert noted that item 3 expires next Tuesday and requested it be placed on the Monday council agenda to avoid an expired contract.
Public Comments & Testimony
Non-Agenda Public Comment: Several members of the public spoke on a variety of topics:
- Mike praised the city's "Get It Done" program and city staff responsiveness, and urged highlighting their work to build confidence in local government.
- Joy Seniata (District 3) thanked Mike and reported on a sidewalk improvement near Broadway and 4th, and emphasized self-advocacy for pedestrian safety.
- Terri Ann Kelly (planning group member) raised concerns about impaired driving, particularly marijuana, and suggested removing marijuana billboards from roadways.
- Blair Beekman expressed worries about city government accountability and wildfire preparedness, and mentioned tech placement/removal programs.
- Peggy Walker (public health advocate) cited statistics on marijuana-impaired driving accidents and urged public education and better detection tools.
- Kelly McCormick (public health educator) echoed concerns about marijuana driving, citing a Triple A survey showing 14.8 million motorists drove within an hour of using marijuana.
- Megan Stewart urged expanding smoking bans to prohibit marijuana and e-cigarette use at transit stops, bike paths, and multi-use trails.
- Becky Rapp (parent and planning group member) also addressed marijuana-impaired driving and called for education and enforcement.
Public Comment on Agenda Items:
- Item 7 (Parking Study): Dominic Lemandry (East Village BID) supported reorganizing community parking districts and preserving local input. Ben Nichols (Hillcrest Business Association) urged continuing partnership with parking districts, deploying meters at the beach, parks, and zoo, and increasing rates during events. Michael (Bankers Hill resident) supported the initiative but stressed the value of institutional knowledge from parking districts. Jerry Tressel (Uptown Community Parking District) reported resident and business owner concerns about rate increases and asked for comprehensive planning and continued district involvement. Cesar Javier criticized governance and parking placard exemptions. Andrew Bowen asked about residential permit parking. Chris Gomez (Little Italy Association) requested that community parking districts be included in council policy amendments. Peter Komsky (Balboa Park Cultural Partnership) noted that the study's rationale for parking meters in Balboa Park (increasing turnover) conflicts with the goal of encouraging longer visits. Blair Beekman urged caution about blaming tourists and emphasized tourism's importance. David Modi (Kensington-Talmadge Planning Group) asked that late-night parking enforcement consider surrounding neighborhoods. Joel H. (Downtown San Diego Partnership) stressed that parking meter revenue should remain invested in the communities where it is generated. Joy Seniata appreciated the study and asked about dynamic pricing for underserved communities.
- Item 4 (Development Impact Fees): Cesar Javier criticized the city's approach. Blair Beekman raised concerns about oversight and wage issues.
- Item 5 (Emergency Contracts): Cesar Javier questioned the emergency justification and referenced the Tijuana River issue. Joy Seniata praised the work and asked about follow-up plans. Blair Beekman mentioned tech accountability.
- Item 6 (Contract Time Extensions): Cesar Javier called for leadership changes. Joy Seniata gave a "five-star presentation" and asked the city attorney about policy gaps.
Discussion Items
Item 7 – Parking Demand Management Study (Informational): Staff presented results of a parking study covering 16,500 spaces in five community parking districts and two regional parks. Key findings: downtown had highest occupancy; on-street parking is 50–90% cheaper than off-street; current rates are significantly lower than other jurisdictions. Recommendations included: establishing a framework for dynamic pricing, expanding paid parking hours to evenings and Sundays, implementing special event pricing, and prioritizing enforcement. Staff proposed changes to municipal code and council policies to enable these reforms. The IBA noted that the study is a first step and that additional revenue could fund right-of-way safety and transportation demand management. Committee discussion: Chair Whitburn emphasized the need to engage parking districts and consider resident impacts, expressing hesitation to extend hours or add meters in District 3 without other areas contributing. Vice Chair Lee supported a broader view tying parking management to mobility and economic development, and asked about distinguishing between tourists and residents. The item was informational only; no action taken.
Item 4 – Development Impact Fees Annual Report, FY2023 CIP Allocations, and Related Actions: Staff presented the annual report, including: total fees collected ($66.8 million) and expended ($66.6 million) in FY2023; allocation of community-specific fees to five projects; a loan repayment from Torrey Highlands FBA fund to Rancho Peñasquitos FBA fund using citywide mobility DIF funds; and amendments to municipal code for automatic annual fee increases and a buyout fee option for VMT reduction measures. Councilmember Von Wilpert raised concerns about the buyout fee option (items 4,5,6) and moved to approve staff recommendations for items 1,2,3 only and return items 4,5,6 to staff. The motion was seconded by Vice Chair Lee and passed unanimously (4-0). Councilmember Foster reserved the right to vote no at council.
Item 5 – Ratification of 29 Emergency Sole Source Contracts for FY2024: Staff presented 29 emergency contracts totaling $52 million, mostly for stormwater infrastructure repairs. Councilmember Von Wilpert praised the presentation and asked about funding sources; staff noted that advance planning allowed a dedicated emergency budget. The motion to approve staff recommendation was made by Councilmember Von Wilpert, seconded by Chair Whitburn, and passed unanimously (4-0).
Item 6 – Time Extension Requests for Consultant Agreement and Construction Contracts: Staff requested time extensions for one consultant agreement and four construction contracts to allow final payment and closeout. Part A covered four contracts where work was completed; Part B covered one contract (Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Phase 2) with remaining landscape maintenance. Councilmember Von Wilpert stated she would vote yes on Part A but no on Part B due to her policy against retroactive extensions with work remaining. The motion to approve staff recommendation was made by Chair Whitburn, seconded by Vice Chair Lee, and passed (4-0 on Part A; 3-1 on Part B with Councilmember Von Wilpert voting no).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously (4-0).
- Item 4 (DIFs): Approved items 1–3 of staff recommendation; items 4–6 returned to staff (unanimous).
- Item 5 (Emergency Contracts): Ratification of 29 contracts approved unanimously (4-0).
- Item 6 (Contract Time Extensions): Approved with Councilmember Von Wilpert voting no on Part B (Part A: 4-0; Part B: 3-1).
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 1:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Just shot away from you. Thank you, Chair Whitburn. While members of the public are able to attend the meeting in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide testimony via a call-in or internet-based service option must enter the virtual speaking queue within five minutes after the conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair. I will now call the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting of January 30th, 2025 to order. Sarah, please call the role. Vice Chair, Council President Pro Tem Lee. Councilmember Foster. Here. Councilmember Von Wilpert. Present. Chair Whitburn. Here. And also attending the meeting today is City Attorney Representative Ryan Garrity, Mayor Representative Randy Wilde, and IBA Representative Donnie Wynne. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it to the speaker slip on the table in the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Members of the public can join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669-2545252. Inputting webinar ID 160-685-1166 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 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 raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you are on a 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 Aquorum is now present. Uh we will now take up non-agenda public comment. The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings. Sarah, please proceed with further instructions. Thank you, Chair. Pearl 2.7 on agenda public comment is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of this committee. And each speaker will have two minutes. If you're watching on City TV, the live stream online and you'd like to call into the meeting to speak, please dial 1669-2545252. And when prompted, input webinar ID 160-68511-66 pound. Chair, we've received one speaker slip here in the committee room. So we we will begin with public testimony in the committee room. Michael, if you can please approach the lectern. You will have two minutes to share your testimony. Council members, Chair, thank you very much. I can't tell you how um joyful I was to see the group that's uh in charge of this. It's a really important topic. And um I really was um I felt much better when I saw it was you guys. I think we're in good hands. But I did want to share something about um uh what I think is uh catching people doing the right thing. I am very lucky. I'm a retired um public servant myself, and I do a lot of get it done reports. I live in Bakers Hill, uh it's a great community, but I think it also is partly great because it has a lot of volunteers working and doing things.
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