Special Active Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Meeting - June 25, 2025
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Special Active Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Meeting - June 25, 2025
This was a special meeting of the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the San Diego City Council, held on June 25, 2025, at 10:30 AM. The committee addressed consent agenda items and a discussion item on amendments to the Municipal Code to authorize progressive design build (PDB) and refine construction manager at risk (CMAR) procurement methods. A quorum was present, and public testimony was heard on non-agenda items, the consent calendar, and the discussion item.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: Approval of committee minutes from May 22, 2025.
- Item 2: Execute and award a one-year contract (with four optional one-year extensions) for crack seal services with Safe USA Incorporated, not to exceed $5 million.
- Item 3: Award a consultant agreement to Kleinfelder Construction Services for construction management and environmental services for the El Camino Real Bridge and Road Widening Project.
- Item 4: Award three professional as-needed quality assurance material test lab services.
- Item 5: Ratification of an emergency sole source contract with Orion Construction Corporation and authorization of change order number one for the Via La Jolla storm drain system emergency project.
- Item 6: Authorization of construction change order number one for the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant storm damage repair with Cass Arietta.
Public Comments & Testimony
Non-Agenda Public Comment:
- Terry Ann Skelly (planning group member, parent, public health educator) expressed concern about drug-impaired driving, citing statistics that 8,000 pedestrians were injured and 270 killed from 2011–2015. She requested a press release on the city's no-tolerance policy for impaired driving.
- Kathleen Lippett noted California’s highest hit-and-run statistics and pedestrian injuries, attributing issues to drunk driving and open-air drinking policies. She argued bike lanes do not improve safety.
- Judy Strang raised concerns about dangerous road segments near the airport and on Laurel Street, urging road repairs and supporting impaired driving awareness.
- Madison (mother of three) advocated for teen substance use prevention and education, emphasizing that impaired driving is a safety issue for youth and the community.
Consent Agenda Public Comment:
- Joyce (speaking to items 2–6) expressed support for most items but raised concerns about the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant (item 6), noting the need for legislative action (OPRA 2) to support the Pure Water project. She also highlighted workforce exemptions.
- Blair Beekman (speaking to items 1, 2, 6) supported the consent agenda while questioning the $5 million crack seal amount and linking the Point Loma plant to Mission Bay issues. He also raised concerns about technology accountability and digital billboards.
Discussion Item 7 Public Comment:
- Joyce expressed strong support for progressive design build, citing benefits like early collaboration, risk management, and cost certainty.
- Mike Guzzi (Clark Construction) supported PDB based on his experience at California State University, Chico, citing improved collaboration and risk reduction.
- Diana Marquez (Clark Construction, licensed architect) supported the amendment, noting better design control and adaptability in the current market.
- Blair Beekman commented on the process, linking it to CEQA improvements and urging tech accountability.
- Michael Dan Schwar (Turner Construction) supported adoption, citing better value for taxpayers and attraction of qualified teams.
- Lonnie Lutar (representing himself) advocated for PDB and CMAR options, noting prior advocacy and potential for litigation avoidance.
- Marco Espinosa expressed support, echoing Joyce’s remarks.
Discussion Items
Item 7: Amendments to San Diego Municipal Code for Progressive Design Build and Construction Manager at Risk Procurement Methods
- Staff presented an overview of PDB and CMAR, highlighting phased contracting, early collaboration, and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) off-ramps. Proposed amendments add authority for the city manager to award PDB contracts (pre-construction phase up to $3 million, construction phase up to $30 million) and clarify CMAR/CMGC definitions.
- The Independent Budget Analyst (Donnie Wynn) provided comments on procurement timelines, cost risks, contractor pool, SLB participation, and off-ramp flexibility.
- Committee members (Councilmembers Foster, Vice Chair Lee, Councilmember von Wilpert, Chair Whitburn) expressed strong support, noting prior discussions and the value of these methods for complex projects (e.g., dams, stormwater, facilities).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously (4-0).
- Item 7: Motion to approve staff’s recommendation carried unanimously (4-0). The ordinance will proceed to the full City Council after the City Attorney’s office completes its review (expected July 2025), with a target for Council consideration in September 2025. Staff will develop contract boilerplates, update procedures, and engage stakeholders.
- The meeting was adjourned to the next regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 1:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the special active transportation and infrastructure committee meeting of June 25th, 2025. Our committee liaison, Sarah Jordan, will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. Sarah, please proceed. Thank you, Chair Whitburn. All 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 conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual 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. I will now call the special active transportation and infrastructure committee meeting of June 25th, 2025 to order. Sarah, please call the role. Vice Chair Council President Pro Tem Lee. Here. Council Member Foster. Here. Councilmember Von Wilbert. Chair Whitburn? Sure. Also attending the meeting today is City Attorney Representative Ryan Gardy, 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 in the speaker slip box at the table at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Members of the public can also 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. So join the Zoom webinar by telephone. Please dial 1669-2545252. And when prompted, input 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 then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you're calling 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. Thank you, Sarah. A quorum is now present. 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. Per rule two point seven, non-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. Each speaker will have two minutes. And again, if you're watching on City TV or 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 160685-1166 pound. Uh it's J Street and Second Avenue. And and I've I've talked to people on this before. It's very tricky. It has one stop sign, it's a dead end on two streets. Uh, everybody under the sun downtown San Diego comes through that intersection. So I I really am gonna help try to get people to look at that. It's very dangerous. No one's gotten hurt so far in 12 years that I've been using it. Thank you, thank you on that. 2016, an audit was done by our audit department.
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