San Diego City Council Meeting Summary - May 20, 2025

The San Diego City Council held a regular meeting on May 20, 2025, starting at approximately 9:00 AM with a noontime recess and reconvening at 2:00 PM. The meeting included proclamations, consent calendar items, informational updates on the Pavement Management Plan and the Community Action Plan on Homelessness, and several action items. Key outcomes included funding authorization for water revenue bonds, approval of a land sale for affordable housing, and a street vacation. The meeting concluded with an adjournment in memory.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously (9-0) the consent agenda, including item 100 (Street Maintenance – Slurry Seal, Cape Seal, and Overlay projects) and item S504 (Formation of an ad hoc committee to recruit an executive director for the Commission on Police Practices). Councilmember Campillo noted specific road projects in District 7, and Council President Lacava thanked Councilmembers Von Wilpert and Campillo for their work on the ad hoc committee.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Proclamations: Several speakers testified in support of proclamations, including Carol Bess (African American Wellness Center for Children and Families) on foster care, Joy Sanyata on water safety, EMS week, and Eritrean Independence Day, Senai Hagos on Eritrean Independence Day, and Ed Witt on ALS Awareness Month. Ronan Gray (President, Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego) noted 40 child drownings in San Diego over the last 8 years and 175,000 free swim lessons funded last year.
• Consent Calendar: Blair Beekman commented on pavement issues and the CPP executive director search.
• Item 330 (Pavement Management): Clifford Wheeler urged the city to investigate root causes of road damage. Blair Beekman discussed budget trade-offs and slurry seal.
• Item 331 (Homelessness): Multiple speakers with lived experience testified, including Matthew Kearney (housed through permanent supportive housing), Julie Porter (Lived Experience Advisors), Rachel Hayes (highlighting county funding for the Midway shelter), and Wilderness Rose Harris (emphasized disability support needs). Josh Bohan (Father Joe's Villages) urged investment in diversion and prevention as cost-effective solutions. John Brady noted a high failure rate in permanent supportive housing retention. Natalie Rashke expressed concern over potential federal funding cuts to housing vouchers.
• Item S501 (Affordable Housing): Joy Sanyata, Rachel Hayes, and Julie Porter supported the project. Robert Campbell and Andrea Heather opposed, arguing the project concentrates poverty in a low-resource area, violating affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH). Kathleen Lippett requested smoke-free housing policies.
• Item 332 (Water Bonds): Blair Beekman questioned use of bond proceeds for stormwater vs. Pure Water program.
• PFFA Non-Agenda: Blair Beekman discussed county water issues and the need for open conversation about subsidies.

Discussion Items

• Item 330 – Pavement Management Plan Annual Update: Transportation Director Bethany Bizak presented. The citywide Pavement Condition Index (PCI) increased from 63 to 65 due to significant investments in FY24-25. FY24 saw the most maintenance in over a decade. Three funding scenarios were presented: 1) Known funding ($700M over 10 years) would drop PCI to 53 (poor). 2) To achieve PCI of 70 (industry standard) would require $1.9B. 3) To maintain PCI of 65 would require $1.7B (recommended given budget deficit). Challenges include rising bid costs (slurry seal +83%, overlay +90% since FY21), limited contractors, equipment procurement delays, hiring freeze (7 vacant positions for mill-and-pave teams), and space constraints at the Chollas Operations Yard. Council discussion focused on district disparities (District 2 has lowest PCI at 57), cost-effectiveness of in-house vs. contracted work, and the need to increase in-house capacity. Councilmember Elo Rivera advocated setting an upper limit on what the city will pay contractors.
• Item 331 – Community Action Plan on Homelessness Update: Presented by Sarah Jarman (HSSD), Casey Snell (SDHC), and Tamara Kohler (RTFH). Since 2019, crisis response and housing beds increased by 91%, but needs still outpace resources. The 2025 Point-in-Time Count showed a 13.5% decrease in homelessness in the city (7% regionally), with notable reductions among veterans (-26%), youth (-20%), and families (-20% overall, -72% unsheltered). However, 88% of shelter requests are turned away. Key gaps remain in rapid rehousing (need 3,090 more units), supportive housing (need 2,939 more units), diversion, and prevention. The short-term action plan successfully replaced 263 shelter beds and housed 154 households through a diversion initiative. Cost data: shelter bed $24,455–$26,280/year; supportive housing $25,040–$33,000/household; prevention $4,235–$12,946/household; diversion $5,431/household. Discussion focused on the need to rebalance investments toward prevention/diversion, improve throughput, and address senior homelessness. Councilmember Elo Rivera and Campillo asked about appropriate ratios of prevention to shelter. The IBA noted other cities target 4–6 downstream/upstream resources per shelter bed.
• Item S501 – Disposition of 1401 Imperial Ave: Staff recommended declaring the property exempt surplus land, waiving Council Policy 700-10, and authorizing sale to Father Joe's Villages for $7.9M (including a $5M cash payment and a $2.9M residual receipts loan at 4% for 55 years). The project will adaptively reuse the existing building and add 14 new stories, creating 164 affordable units (108 studios, 54 one-bedrooms, 2 two-bedrooms) for households earning 30-60% AMI. Father Joe's committed to paying prevailing wages and pursuing local hiring. Council debate touched on process (sale vs. lease, council involvement) and affirmatively furthering fair housing.
• Items 332/FA-1 – Water Revenue Bonds: Approved issuance of up to $250 million in water revenue bonds to pay down commercial paper used for water capital projects (95% for pipelines). Estimated interest cost 4.39%, with first-year debt service of $5.2 million (interest only) and average annual payments of $15 million for 30 years. The bonds are supported by approved water rates and meet legal covenants. Structure is identical to prior issuances (2016, 2018, 2020, 2023).
• Item 334 – Del Sur Town Center Public Right-of-Way Vacation: Staff presentation waived; no public comment; no opposition. The action vacates a public right-of-way in front of a Target store.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (9-0).
• Item 330 – Pavement Management Plan: Informational item only; no vote taken.
• Item 331 – Homelessness Update: Informational item only; no vote taken.
• Item S501 – 1401 Imperial Ave Sale and Redevelopment: Approved unanimously (9-0).
• Item 334 – Del Sur Right-of-Way Vacation: Approved unanimously (8-0 with Councilmember Campbell absent).
• Item 332 – Water Revenue Bonds (City Council): Approved unanimously (7-0 with Councilmembers Campbell and Ela Rivera absent).
• Item FA-1 – Water Revenue Bonds (PFFA): Approved unanimously (7-0 with Councilmembers Campbell and Ela Rivera absent).
• PFFA Minutes: Approved unanimously (7-0 with Councilmembers Campbell and Ela Rivera absent).
• Adjournment: The council adjourned in memory of Connie Juanita Wick. The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Monday, June 2, 2025, at 10:00 AM.

Note on Discrepancies: The agenda and minutes were not provided; the summary relies solely on the transcript. The transcript includes technical difficulties (e.g., failed video playback, microphone issues) and minor procedural remarks (e.g., staff correcting error on proclamation vs. consent items).