OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Budget and Government Efficiency Committee Meeting - November 5, 2025

Budget & Government Efficiency Committee — Wednesday, November 5, 2025
BodySan Diego, California
SessionBudget & Government Efficiency Committee
DateWednesday, November 5, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:04:01

Transcript — Verbatim
7:21

Thank you, Chair.

7:21

Well, members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person.

7:24

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.

7:31

Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes.

7:38

The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first.

7:43

This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business.

8:05

Council Council President Pro Tem Lee.

8:08

Councilmember Ila Rivera.

8:10

Chair Foster.

8:12

Also attending the meeting today is Charles Monica and Lisa Byrne from the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst, Deputy City Attorney David Powell from the City Attorney's Office, Rolanda Charbell, Chief Financial Officer, Matt Yagagin, Director of Policy from the Office of Mayor Todd Gloria, and Jacqueline Kennedy, Senior Policy Advisor.

8:28

If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it on top of the box indicated at the speaker's lecture near the public comment microphones.

8:35

Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management.

8:39

In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins.

8:42

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.

8:50

If you need to participate by phone, please dial 16692545252.

8:55

The webinar ID is 161710317 pound.

8:59

This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item.

9:05

Please note that if you're watching via City TV channel 24 hour online, there may be a delay, so please participate via the audio on your phone and meet your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak.

9:13

And if you wish to speak on a particular item, 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 a call participant, press star 9 on your phone.

9:22

If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered.

9:26

Chair.

10:01

We have one hand raised in the virtual, two hands raised in the virtual queue.

10:04

I've started the five minute timer.

10:06

Blair Beekman, please unmute and begin.

10:10

All right.

10:10

Thank you.

10:11

Blair Beekman.

10:12

Thanks for the meeting this morning.

10:14

Hi to everyone.

10:16

A real congratulations to our election patterns yesterday.

10:22

Boy, in New York City, they they've uh elected a person from uh the DSA, our Democratic Socialists of America.

10:30

Um they're an up and coming um election uh body that's doing some really interesting work around the country.

10:37

Uh they've elected some people in the Bay Area.

10:40

Um it's hopefully how they can be addressing Trump, I think.

10:43

Um as what I've been trying to say here at the local level, we're trying to address that less over militarization.

10:51

We can really ask for that in their current uh uh customs and ice rates uh that they're doing their border ice uh issues.

11:00

Um it's that sense of dialogue and conversation that we can have with the federal administration.

11:08

I think we can really ask for uh middle ground.

11:12

And uh it's not so one-sided in in favor of really irrational policies of Trump.

11:18

And uh it's an argument I think we can be winning and they can be eventually agreeable.

11:23

So good luck to uh really good reasoning at this time that I think um we can um do some interesting work that works towards peace, not just here at the local level, but at the international level as well.

11:35

I'm interested how that can uh develop peace at the international level.

11:39

Um so thank you.

11:41

Uh I wanted to also comment uh really good luck that we can be continuing uh in these good efforts.

11:47

I think it's the process of open democracy that's really important at this time at the local level, uh definitely here in San Diego with our issues, and that for them to be cutting off the parking commission process uh is really a bad idea of city government.

12:02

And I hope that can get a lot more talk about how we can have openness and dialogue in in our decision making and not seriously close that off that you're doing.

12:13

Thank you.

12:13

Thank you.

12:14

Our next speaker is Judy Strang.

12:16

Please begin.

12:22

Good morning.

12:23

Thank you for this opportunity to share some thoughts with uh your committee, the budget budget and government efficiency committee.

12:31

You know, as a grandparent, how the city spends the our money means a lot to us, and of course, the more that you spend our and our sensitive to our young people and children, the better for all of us that are older and have watched the needs of our children skyrocket, especially since COVID.

12:49

I was especially pleased to see that there may be some more opportunity for the city to take in money uh from our pot shops.

12:58

And the part of the UT article this week that excited me the most was the concentration on I'm hoping delivery services, either illegal or legal from outside our city.

13:14

And it's what we notice the most in our neighborhoods are as the article points out, cars roaming here and there, as if they were delivering pizza or something, and that they advertise they can get there in a short period of time, which means that although they're out of county, they're roaming the city of San Diego.

13:34

So thank you for this forward movement that hopefully will bring in more money to the budget and protect our young people that much more from marijuana businesses, particularly the deliveries, which is the part of the business that we on the ground in our neighborhoods and with our young people see the most.

13:53

Thank you.

13:56

Thank you.

13:57

Madison Rapp, please unmute and begin.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Budget Equity Analysis████████████████████████████28%
Public Engagement█████████████13%
Public Safety███████████11%
Technology and Innovation███████7%
Public Comment██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Arts And Culture█████5%
Parks and Recreation█████5%
Cannabis Regulation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Budget and Government Efficiency Committee Meeting - November 5, 2025

The Budget and Government Efficiency Committee convened to discuss the Fiscal Year 2027 budget priorities, review cooperative procurement contracts for technology and public safety, authorize sewer revenue bonds, and approve a new golf reservation system. The meeting featured significant public testimony regarding the arts and culture sector, marijuana-related public health costs, the structural budget deficit, and concerns over the removal of the parking commission process.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the minutes from the September 10, 2025 meeting with a unanimous 4-0 vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Blair Beekman: Expressed strong opposition to the city cutting the parking commission process during the smart streetlight rollout, arguing it undermines open democracy and participatory governance. Expressed support for dialogue between neighborhood commissions. (Position: Strong opposition to eliminating community input on parking; support for reinstating the commission).
  • Judy Strang: Expressed support for increased regulation and revenue collection from marijuana delivery services to protect young people, noting a rise in illegal deliveries.
  • Madison Rapp: Expressed support for sustaining and modestly increasing funding for retail compliance checks and nuisance abatement resources, stating these programs save the city money by reducing downstream service costs related to vaping and marijuana use among teens.
  • Becky Rapp: Expressed support for allocating funds for an annual collaborative fiscal impact study on marijuana-related harms, emphasizing data from California showing increased ER visits and the need for prevention and education campaigns.
  • Christine Martinez, Bob Lehman, Sean Boyd, Ali Sader, Leslie Latham, John Haikin: All expressed full support for maintaining the 4.28% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) allocation for arts and culture in FY 2027, arguing that flat funding is effectively a cut due to inflation and that the arts sector is vital for the city's economic vitality and community well-being.
  • Blair Beekman (Virtual, Item 2): Expressed deep concern and anger regarding the elimination of the parking commission process as part of the smart streetlight rollout, urging the committee to reinstate the commission to ensure community dialogue.
  • Sally Small: Expressed disappointment and concern that priorities supported by only four council members (e.g., climate equity fund, no shots fired, SD Access for All) were not formally included in the initial resolution, fearing Districts 4, 8, and 9 would be left behind without specific advocacy.
  • John Stump (Virtual, Item 3): Expressed concern regarding the integration of emergency communication systems for the community's safety during emergencies.
  • John Stump (Virtual, Item 5): Expressed opposition to the Pure Water Program, characterizing it as a corrupt program that drives up the cost of living to support city development, while stating support for the bond refinancing.
  • Blair Beekman (Virtual, Item 6): Expressed general appreciation for the public comment process and the work of Mr. Stump.

Discussion Items

  • Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Priorities (Item 2):
    • Staff from the Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) office presented IBA Report 25-32, summarizing council member priorities.
    • Operating Priorities with Majority Support: Preserving/creating affordable housing, housing instability prevention, eviction prevention, homelessness prevention/diversion, LGBTQ+ shelter services, "Penny for the Arts," climate action implementation, marine safety captain, rights-of-way payments, library/park operating hours, and a deputy city clerk.
    • Infrastructure Priorities with Majority Support: Pedestrian/school safety, traffic calming, street light repair, street infrastructure/sidewalks, stormwater operations, park/recreation facility improvements, fire rescue facility funding, and lifeguard tower/station upgrades.
    • Priorities with Four Council Member Support: Veteran Village shelter beds, Climate Equity Fund, police recruitment, "No Shots Fired" program, library materials, park programming (After Dark), lifeguard wellness access, and SD Access for All.
    • Committee Deliberation: Councilmember Ila Rivera moved to adopt the IBA staff recommendation, adding priorities supported by four council members, and proposed additional revenue options (vacant storefront fees, non-resident beach parking, lease renegotiation). Councilmember Moreno supported the inclusion of the four-council-member priorities but raised grave concerns regarding non-resident parking fees and vacant storefront fees, citing a lack of sufficient analysis. Councilmember Pro Tem Lee expressed caution against committing to specific revenue tools without more data, citing past frustrations with the Balboa Park parking rollout. The motion was amended to exclude specific revenue items (vacant storefront fees and non-resident parking) to address concerns about rushing the policy, leaving the recommendation to include the four-council-member priorities and explore lease updates. Councilmember Moreno expressed disappointment that the council did not formally address vacant storefronts.
  • Amendment to Microsoft Software Contract (Item 3):
    • Staff requested a $1.3 million increase to the cooperative contract with Dell to cover Microsoft service subscriptions through 2026.
    • Councilmember Pro Tem Lee supported the motion but requested assurance that future procurements would include cost-benefit analyses regarding the use of cooperative contracts. The item passed 3-0.
  • Amendment to Nokia Public Safety Contract (Item 4):
    • Staff requested an extension to December 2028 and an increase in the cap to $8 million to allow for receiving grant funds (UASI) for mission-critical radio equipment upgrades.
    • Staff confirmed the IBA's clarification that grant funding is anticipated but not guaranteed; if grants are unavailable, the General Fund may need to cover future replacements (projected impact ~$1.2 million). Councilmember Moreno asked for assurances on market price competitiveness; staff confirmed 30-40% discounts via NASPO. The item passed 4-0.
  • Sewer Revenue Bonds (Item 5):
    • Staff requested authorization to issue up to $240 million in sewer revenue bonds to fund the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and refund 2015/2016 bonds, projecting $36 million in total savings.
    • IBA confirmed the item aligns with the recent rate case and highlights proactive savings strategies. The item passed 4-0.
  • Golf Course Point of Sale Contract (Item 6):
    • Staff requested approval for a $161,000 total contract (5+5 years) with 104 Golf for reservation and point-of-sale systems for the city's golf enterprise.
    • Councilmember Ila Rivera confirmed the system supports advanced booking fees and resident/non-resident differentiation. While supporting the motion, Rivera raised a broader question about whether non-resident fees could be increased to support the general Parks and Rec department, suggesting this be a topic for future budget deliberation. The item passed 4-0.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously 4-0.
  • FY 2027 Budget Priorities: Resolution approved unanimously 4-0. The resolution includes all priorities supported by a majority of council members, plus all expenditures supported by four council members (including the Climate Equity Fund, No Shots Fired, and SD Access for All). Specific revenue-generating proposals (vacant storefront fees and non-resident beach parking) were removed from the formal resolution and scheduled for separate vetting and analysis, though staff committed to pursuing them.
  • IT & Public Safety Contracts: Approved unanimously (Microsoft amendment 3-0; Nokia amendment 4-0).
  • Sewer Bonds: Authorization approved unanimously 4-0.
  • Golf Contract: Contract approved unanimously 4-0.
  • Next Steps: The approved budget priorities resolution will be presented to the full City Council on November 18, 2025. The committee is scheduled to meet again on December 10, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you, Chair. Well, members of the public are able to attend the meetings 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 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 in-person testimony ends, 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. Council Council President Pro Tem Lee. Councilmember Ila Rivera. Chair Foster. Also attending the meeting today is Charles Monica and Lisa Byrne from the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst, Deputy City Attorney David Powell from the City Attorney's Office, Rolanda Charbell, Chief Financial Officer, Matt Yagagin, Director of Policy from the Office of Mayor Todd Gloria, and Jacqueline Kennedy, Senior Policy Advisor. If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it on top of the box indicated at the speaker's lecture near the public comment microphones. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. 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. If you need to participate by phone, please dial 16692545252. The webinar ID is 161710317 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you're watching via City TV channel 24 hour online, there may be a delay, so please participate via the audio on your phone and meet your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. And if you wish to speak on a particular item, 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 a call participant, press star 9 on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. We have one hand raised in the virtual, two hands raised in the virtual queue. I've started the five minute timer. Blair Beekman, please unmute and begin. All right. Thank you. Blair Beekman. Thanks for the meeting this morning. Hi to everyone. A real congratulations to our election patterns yesterday. Boy, in New York City, they they've uh elected a person from uh the DSA, our Democratic Socialists of America. Um they're an up and coming um election uh body that's doing some really interesting work around the country. Uh they've elected some people in the Bay Area. Um it's hopefully how they can be addressing Trump, I think. Um as what I've been trying to say here at the local level, we're trying to address that less over militarization. We can really ask for that in their current uh uh customs and ice rates uh that they're doing their border ice uh issues. Um it's that sense of dialogue and conversation that we can have with the federal administration. I think we can really ask for uh middle ground. And uh it's not so one-sided in in favor of really irrational policies of Trump. And uh it's an argument I think we can be winning and they can be eventually agreeable. So good luck to uh really good reasoning at this time that I think um we can um do some interesting work that works towards peace, not just here at the local level, but at the international level as well. I'm interested how that can uh develop peace at the international level. Um so thank you. Uh I wanted to also comment uh really good luck that we can be continuing uh in these good efforts. I think it's the process of open democracy that's really important at this time at the local level, uh definitely here in San Diego with our issues, and that for them to be cutting off the parking commission process uh is really a bad idea of city government. And I hope that can get a lot more talk about how we can have openness and dialogue in in our decision making and not seriously close that off that you're doing. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Judy Strang. Please begin.

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