Budget & Gov't Efficiency Committee Meeting – June 20, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Budget and Government Efficiency Committee Meeting – June 20, 2024
The Budget and Government Efficiency Committee of the San Diego City Council met on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 5:00 PM UTC. Chaired by Councilmember Lee, the committee approved consent items, discussed the Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriation Ordinance, and approved a three-year contract with ESRI for GIS software. All votes passed 3-0 with Councilmember Moreno absent.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1–4 were approved as a consent package without objection.
- Item 1: Authorization to execute a one-year extension to an agreement with NeoGov for data collection tools (public comment raised concerns about AI and data security).
- Item 2: Exemption of a program coordinator position in SD SERS from the classified service.
- Item 3: Approval of a contract award to Burke Williams & Sorenson LLP for labor negotiations services (public comment questioned the need to outsource when hiring could be done internally).
- Item 4: Exemption of eight positions in the City of San Diego from classified service.
Public Comments & Testimony
- On prior committee minutes: A speaker (the original) urged more specific minute-taking regarding human trafficking at the border, citing discarded military IDs, child passports, and birth certificates as evidence of an organized trafficking network. Blair Beekman requested that meeting minutes include the duration of public comment periods and advocated for a standard two-minute comment time.
- Non-agenda public comment:
- Clifford Weiler (retired attorney) advised the committee on improving attorney contract RFPs, suggesting topics like minimum billable increments, travel time billing, and termination clauses.
- Terry Ann Skelly (public health advocate) linked neglected neighborhoods to worse health outcomes and urged reducing the number of smoke/vape shops and marijuana storefronts, noting that smoking is a leading cause of preventable death.
- The original reiterated border concerns, emphasizing the humanitarian crisis and child trafficking.
- Judy Strang (youth worker) cited a California Department of Public Health alert that 90% of tobacco/marijuana/alcohol use begins before age 19 and that Medi-Cal spends $4 billion annually on smoking-related illnesses. She called for reducing the number of tobacco and marijuana retailers.
- Becky Rapp (parent and public health educator) appreciated that youth drop-in centers were prioritized in the budget and suggested those centers include public health education on the harms of THC and adolescent brain development.
- On item 5 (Appropriation Ordinance): No in-person speakers; two virtual speakers. Blair Beekman criticized the city's lack of transparency and honesty with the public regarding LED lighting and technology decisions, calling for a more participatory process. The original echoed concerns about smart streetlights emitting harmful radiation and cited negative health effects of LED lights on students.
- On item 6 (ESRI contract): Two virtual speakers. Blair Beekman urged open, community-driven technology policies and a shift away from secretive, top-down decision-making. The original warned about cybersecurity risks (hacking, system failures) and asked what backup plans exist if the GIS system goes down.
Discussion Items
-
Item 5: Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriation Ordinance (AO)
- Presented by Ben Bitalia (Assistant Director, Finance) and Rolando Charvel (Finance Director). The AO is the final step in the FY2025 budget process, operationalizing the mayor's proposed budget as modified by the city council.
- Key updates: Removal of restrictions on smart streetlight and World Design Capital funding (now resolved); addition of a restriction on $1.9 million for a new homeless shelter, contingent on lease/acquisition and Council approval; various technical cleanups (e.g., inactive funds, language updates).
- Committee questions: Chair Lee confirmed that the $1.9 million shelter language matched Council’s intent, that $5.2 million in PLHA funding for housing disability prevention does not require AO language, and that savings from shelter closures are being handled separately. Council President Pro Tem Lakava asked about striking the CDBG 18-month use requirement; staff explained it will be addressed by an upcoming update to Council Policy 700-02.
- Outcome: Moved by Chair Lee, seconded by Council President Pro Tem Lakava. Approved 3-0.
-
Item 6: Agreement with ESRI for GIS Software Subscriptions and Services
- Presented by Jonathan Banke (CIO), Scott Dashner (GIS Manager), and Maureen Medvedev (Contract Manager). The contract is for three years with a not-to-exceed amount of $8.28 million (base $7.2M plus $1.08M for modernization enhancements).
- GIS services support public safety, permitting, Get It Done app, asset management, emergency response, equity mapping (e.g., SD Access for All broadband program), and regional interoperability.
- Chair Lee noted cost increases driven by expanded use (e.g., Next Generation 911, new permitting tools).
- Councilmember Foster raised concerns about equal opportunity contracting underrepresentation in the vendor’s workforce. IT staff described outreach to SLBEs/ELBEs, matchmaking events, and evaluation criteria for equity. ESRI account manager and EOC staff reported improvements in African American, Latino, Asian, and female categories. Councilmember Foster requested the last workforce report and evaluation data for further review.
- Outcome: Moved by Chair Lee, seconded by Council President Pro Tem Lakava. Approved 3-0.
Key Outcomes
- Votes: All consent and discussion items passed 3-0 (Councilmember Moreno absent).
- FY2025 Appropriation Ordinance: Approved and forwarded to the full City Council for adoption on June 25, 2024. The AO codifies the FY2025 budget into law, with specific restrictions on $1.9 million for a new homeless shelter pending property acquisition and Council approval.
- ESRI Contract: Approved for three years at up to $8.28 million, with funding contingent on annual budget approvals. The contract maintains the city’s enterprise GIS system and supports critical services.
- Next meeting: The committee will next meet on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at 9:00 AM.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. Welcome to the budget government efficiency committee meeting of June twentieth, twenty twenty-four. Our committee lays on Natalie Custler. We'll go over instructions for today's meeting. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after the in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. Additionally, during the consent portion of the agenda, speakers will have one minute per item up to a maximum of three minutes if there are three or more items in that portion of the agenda. 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'll call the budget and government efficiency committee meeting of Thursday, June 20th, 2024 to order. Natalie, please call the roll. Vice Chair Moreno. Council President Pro Tem Lakava. Present. Councilmember Foster. Present. And Chair, Councilmember Lee. Here. Also attending the meeting today, Charles Matica and Lisa and Lisa Byrne from the independent budget analyst office. Rett Bartelata from the city attorney's office. And 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 website. If you need to participate by telephone, you may dial 1669 2545252. Webinar ID 160 074 2406 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Chair. Thank you, Natalie, for reviewing the instructions for the benefit of the public. A quorum is now present. We will now dispense with the approval of the committee minutes of April uh March 14th, 2024. Um, Natalie, please proceed. Thank you, Chair. The public comment period for the past committee minutes is now open. And Chair, we have not received any speaker slips from individuals in chambers. We do have one hand raised in the virtual queue, so I'll begin the five-minute timer. The original, please begin your comments. You'll have one minute. The original, I've given you permission to speak. Oh, there you go. So um, yes, in the minutes, I wanted to um talk about what I was saying to be consistent because it's just saying that um I am talking about the border and hum uh human trafficking, but I want you guys to understand. I think that you need to be more specific when you are writing down what the people are saying so that it can really be transparent with the people because this is an invasion, and um there are documents that I'm finding, um, IDs that I'm finding, military IDs, child passports, child birth certificates, child documents that are being discarded at the border. So it is a huge human trafficking um uh organization, and we should be concerned because there are children that go missing. The children just get you know trafficked out into different places, they wind up going to the same sponsor and whatnot. And so this is a huge concern that we should be stopping, not helping facilitate more of. Thank you. Our next speaker on the past committee minutes is Blair Beekman. Please begin. Hi, Blair Beekman. I had a uh procedural question. Does the meeting minutes does it offer uh how much time a uh public comment was allowed for the meeting? Uh that may be an important item to consider to add to the future of meeting minutes.
openpublica.com