San Diego City Council Meeting - March 4, 2025: Proclamations, Land Use Reforms, and Water Rate Increase
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San Diego City Council Meeting - March 4, 2025
The San Diego City Council met on March 4, 2025, in a session that began at 10:00 AM and concluded after 10 hours. The agenda included proclamations, consent items, a public hearing on a water rate pass-through, and two major land use discussions: the repeal of Footnote 7 (item 330) and the future of the city's ADU bonus program (item S507). The council voted unanimously to repeal Footnote 7, approved a 5.5% water rate pass-through (6-3), and directed staff to remove the ADU bonus program from large-lot single-family zones and bring forward program reforms (6-3).
Consent Calendar
- The consent agenda (items 10, 101–106, S502–S506) was approved unanimously 9-0, with Councilmember Von Wilpert voting no on item 104 (litigation settlement).
- Item S502 (authorization of outside counsel for litigation) was pulled and approved separately, with Councilmember Von Wilpert recused.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Proclamations (items 30, 31, S500, S501): Multiple speakers supported Guam History and Chamorro Heritage Day, sharing cultural significance and military service. Speakers also supported Women in Construction Week, highlighting the need for more female tradesworkers.
- Footnote 7 (item 330): Overwhelming public support for repeal. Residents of Encanto, Emerald Hills, and other District 4 neighborhoods described Footnote 7 as a discriminatory policy that targeted Black and brown communities, allowed overdevelopment without infrastructure, and stole promised park space. Many demanded repeal and retroactive application to all projects.
- ADU Bonus Program (item S507): Deeply divided testimony. Supporters of repeal (many in yellow) argued the program has led to apartment complexes in single-family zones, fire safety risks, lack of infrastructure funding, and loss of homeownership opportunities. Opponents (including YIMBY groups, housing advocacy organizations, and some developers) argued the program has produced much-needed moderate-income housing and warned that repeal could jeopardize state housing compliance. A memorandum from the planning director (February 28, 2025) was referenced by multiple speakers but was not posted with the agenda, drawing criticism.
- Water Rate Increase (item 331): Nearly all speakers opposed the 5.5% pass-through, citing affordability concerns, human right to water, and the city's ability to seek funds from corporate tax breaks or state sources.
Discussion Items
- Item 330 (Footnote 7): Councilmember Foster moved to adopt the staff recommendation to repeal Footnote 7 and rescind the council's January 28, 2025 action. The motion passed unanimously 9-0 after brief discussion noting the lack of transparency in the original policy.
- Item S507 (ADU Bonus Program): Extensive debate. Original motion by Councilmember Foster sought full repeal. Council President Pro Tem Lee offered an amendment to instead remove the program's applicability in very low-density single-family zones (RS 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-8, 1-9, 1-10, 1-11) within 90 days and direct staff to bring broader reforms. Councilmember Campbell offered a substitute motion to simply direct staff to work on amendments through the land development code update, which failed 4-5. The original motion as amended passed 6-3, with Councilmembers Campbell, Von Wilpert, and Moreno voting no.
- Item 331 (Water Rate Pass-Through): Public Utilities Department presented a 5.5% rate increase to pass through the San Diego County Water Authority's 14% wholesale hike. Councilmember Whitburn moved to adopt the staff recommendation; second by Council President LaCava. After discussion, the motion passed 6-3, with Councilmembers Foster, Von Wilpert, and Moreno voting no. The clerk reported that the number of protests (4,742) fell well below the 50%+1 threshold required to block the increase.
Key Outcomes
- Footnote 7 repealed unanimously (9-0).
- ADU Bonus Program: Council directed staff to return within 90 days with an action to remove the program's eligibility in RS zones with minimum lot sizes exceeding 10,000 square feet (specifically RS 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-8, 1-9, 1-10, and 1-11) and to bring forward revisions to the program, including those outlined in the February 28, 2025 planning director's memo, to the Land Use and Housing Committee. The 90-day deadline was extended from 60 days to allow for noticing requirements.
- Water Rate Increase: A 5.5% pass-through approved, effective May 1, 2025, adding approximately $4.67/month to the average single-family residential water bill. The increase is intended to cover the $38 million annual shortfall from the County Water Authority's rate hike.
Meeting Transcript
Please call the roll. Councilmember Campbell. Councilmember Whitburn. Councilmember Foster. Councilmember Von Wilper. Council President Pro Tem Lee. Thank you. Councilmember Campillo. Councilmember Moreno. Present. Councilmember Elo Rivera. Present. And Council President Lacava. Present. Also attending the meeting are senior Chief Deputy City Attorney Corinne Newfer, Independent Budget Analyst, Charles Matica, Council Affairs Advisor in the Mayor's Office, Coda Zeiser, and myself, your city clerk, Deanna Fuentes. Thank you, Council President. Thank you. We will begin this morning with the land acknowledgement and the pledge of allegiance led by Councilmember Whitburn. Thank you, Council President. Good morning, everybody. If everybody would kindly stand. We respectfully acknowledge that the Kumeyay Nation are the original inhabitants of the unceded land now known as San Diego. Despite enduring the horrors of genocide and colonization, the Kumiyay spirit remains unbroken. We honor the resilience of their ancestors who fought to protect their culture and land. Today they carry their legacy forward, ensuring that their traditions continue to thrive in gratitude and strength. We stand with the Kumeayai Nation, connected to our past and committed to a thriving future. Please face the flag. Hand over your heart. Ready to begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. A few things to get out of the way before we get started. Due to the heavy discussion agenda this morning, we will be trailing virtual non-agenda public comment to the afternoon session for today's meeting. Once again, for time management purposes, virtual, non-agenda public comment will not be heard this morning. It will be heard during the 2 p.m. session. With that, the clerk will now go over the public how the public can offer their public testimony. Clerk. Thank you, Council President. Before I begin, I do need to ask anybody who is standing or in the walkways due to fire safety hazards. We do have additional overflow rooms right behind you. If you exit that door, there's the committee room as well as a long conference room that is streaming this meeting. We will be sure to bring you back into this room when public comment for your item is there. We'll have runners go around asking, and you'll hear me on the TV, so we'll be a little bit more patient to give you time to come up. But I do need to ask everybody to clear those walkways because the fire marshal also will close down this meeting as well and we'll get nothing done. So please exit as calmly and as quickly as you can to clear the hallways for safety. I will now highlight the slide on the screen that reviews how the public can offer their public testimony during today's meeting. Please note that time allocations for proclamations and consent items for meeting management purposes. The order can be found on the agenda summary found online or at the table in the back of the room.
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