San Diego City Council Meeting - June 3, 2025
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San Diego City Council Meeting - June 3, 2025
The City Council convened on June 3, 2025, at 6:00 PM. The meeting began with a land acknowledgement, pledge of allegiance, and approval of proclamations and consent items. Key discussion items included a report from the San Diego County Water Authority on 2026 rates and charges, approval of increases to ground ambulance transport fees (applied only to private insurance), a rezone project for Vista Santa Domingo, and authorizations for lease revenue bonds and ballpark refunding bonds. Public comment addressed a range of topics including water affordability, sea lion protection, marijuana industry costs, and youth vaping. All votes were unanimous except for one consent item.
Consent Calendar
- Proclamations (Items 30-32, S501, S502, S507) were approved unanimously, including Michael Hopkins Day, Detective Sergeant Lawrence Skip Cahill Day, Building Safety Month, Wild Coast 25th Anniversary Day, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, and Tammy Robinson Day.
- Consent agenda (Items 50-60, 100-110, S503, S504) approved with item 105 returned to staff and Councilmember Moreno voting no on Item 57 (Software services agreement). Appointments and reappointments to municipal golf committee, consolidated plan advisory board, historical resources board, citizens equal opportunity commission, and water authority board were approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Several speakers supported the proclamations and consent items, including praise for the Armed Services YMCA child care law (AB 752).
- Non-agenda public comment included concerns about sea lion protection at La Jolla Cove (Sierra Club SEAL Society), the full cost of the marijuana industry, youth vaping risks, and mental health impacts of flavored tobacco products.
- During the water authority item, speakers expressed frustration over rate increases and a perception of punishment for conservation. The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce applauded the Metropolitan Water District settlement.
- Public comment on the ambulance fee item supported the increase as a necessary budget measure that only affects insurance companies.
- On the Vista Santo Domingo rezone, a speaker from SAFER urged preparation of a full EIR, citing potential cancer risks from diesel emissions.
Discussion Items
- Item S505 – San Diego County Water Authority 2026 Rates and Charges: General Manager Dan Denham presented a 10.4% proposed rate increase (down from an initial 18% forecast) for 2026, driven by water purchases, debt service, and capital improvements. He highlighted a historic settlement with the Metropolitan Water District that stabilizes transportation rates and will save the region an estimated $20 million annually. The IBA commended the settlement but urged continued cost reductions. Councilmembers expressed strong concerns about affordability, noting that conservation efforts have led to higher fixed costs. Chair Nick Serrano committed to further cutting non-essential spending, including board expenses. No vote was taken on this informational item.
- Item 331 – Ground Ambulance Transport User Fees: The Council approved increases to patient charges for ground ambulance transport for fiscal years 2026-2028. The increases apply only to private insurance companies (about 11% of invoices), not to individuals, Medicare, or Medi-Cal patients. The fee adjustment is needed to cover inflationary pressures and contractual costs with ambulance providers. The Council emphasized this does not affect uninsured or publicly insured patients.
- Item 332 – Vista Santo Domingo Rezone and Plan Amendment: The Council approved a general plan and community plan amendment to change a 5.58-acre site in Otay Mesa from residential (medium density) to light industrial, due to airport noise incompatibility from Brown Field. The site currently has no residential viability because it lies within the 65-70 dBA noise contour. The Planning Commission and Otay Mesa Planning Group supported the change. An addendum to the program EIR was approved, though opponents argued a project-specific EIR is needed.
- Item 330 and FA1 – Lease Revenue Bonds and Ballpark Refunding Bonds: The Council authorized up to $465 million in new lease revenue bonds to fund capital improvement projects and potential refunding of 2015 bonds, plus refunding of 2016 ballpark bonds for savings. The bonds are secured by master lease properties including three libraries and a fire station. The debt ratios remain under 10% and 25% caps. The Public Facilities Financing Authority also approved the same items.
Key Outcomes
- All proclamations approved unanimously (7-0).
- Consent agenda approved 7-0 with one no vote on Item 57.
- Water authority report received; no action taken.
- Ambulance transport fee increase approved unanimously (7-0).
- Vista Santo Domingo rezone and plan amendment approved unanimously (7-0).
- Lease revenue bond and refunding bond authorizations approved unanimously (7-0) both as City Council and as Public Facilities Financing Authority.
- Meeting adjourned in memory of former Councilmember Harry Mathis, who passed away March 31, 2025 at age 92. Next scheduled meeting: Monday, June 9, 2025 at 10 AM.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good morning, everyone. We're gonna get the council started. I will call the city council meeting of Tuesday, January 3rd, 2025 to order. Clerk, please call the roll. Thank you, Council President. Councilmember Campbell. Councilmember Whitburn. Here. Councilmember Foster. Councilmember Von Wilbert. Council President Pro Tem Lee. Here. Councilmember Campio. Here. Councilmember Moreno. President. Councilmember Ilo Rivera. And Council President Lacava. President. Also attending the meeting, our city assistant city attorney Leslie Fitzgerald, Independent Budget Analyst Charles Monica, Council of Affairs Advisor and the Mayor's Office, Coda Seizer, and myself, your city clerk, the NF Wentis. Thank you, Council President. All right, thank you, City Clerk Quorum is now present. Before we start today's meeting, I want to remind everyone about the city's practices and procedures for public comment at City Council meetings. The city welcomes public participation at our meeting. Speakers may address the council during public comment, also in connection with a specific item of business on the agenda. However, the city must make sure that no one person or group of people disrupt the meeting in a way that prohibits other speakers from expressing their ideas and opinions. So to make sure that everyone here has an opportunity to address the council, I will alert an individual or individuals. If I think their conduct becomes disruptive, if the disruption continues, I will rule the individual out of order. And if the disruption continues further, I will declare recess so we can restore order. At that point, I will direct the individual to leave the room. If the individual refuses, police will escort the individual out of the building. If we have to repeat this process of warning and recessing the meeting, all members of the public will be excused from the council chamber. Credential media would be allowed to remain. Once again, we have these practices and procedures to protect the rights of other speakers who wish to address the council and to allow the council to conduct the public's business. So with that, we will begin this morning with the land acknowledgement and the pledge of allegiance led by Council President Pro Tem Lee. Thank you. We respectfully acknowledge the that the Kumeay Nation are the original inhabitants of the unceded land now known as San Diego. Despite enduring the horrors of genocide and colonization, the Kumuyai 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. Ready begin, Clerk, please go over how the public can offer their public testimony. Item 105, resolution in support of Senate Bill 99. From our consent agenda, and item S500, the performance audit of the city's trash recycling and organic collection and handling from this morning's discussion items. So again, item 105 from the consent agenda and item S500 in our discussion agenda are now returned to staff and will not be heard today. With that, we will now dispense with the approval of the proclamation items. Clerk, please proceed with public comment. Each speaker will have one minute per item per person if you would like to speak on three or more items. You will have a maximum of three minutes. The proclamation items being approved are items 30 through 32, S501, S502, and S507. Um Joy Sanyata, if you can please come forward to the mic, and Blair Beekman, if you can please come forward to the yellow reserve seats.
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