San Diego City Council Meeting - October 7, 2025: Proclamations, Consent Agenda, and Grand Jury Report
San Diego City Council Meeting - October 7, 2025
The San Diego City Council convened on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 10:00 AM, with a noon recess and reconvening at 2:00 PM. The meeting opened with a land acknowledgement and Pledge of Allegiance. Council President Pro Tem Lee presided with eight members present (Council President LaCava absent). The agenda included proclamations, consent items, a grand jury report response, a right-of-way vacation, and non-agenda public comment. Key discussions highlighted housing progress, LGBTQ+ and Filipino American history, breast cancer awareness, public safety in the Gaslamp Quarter, and concerns about city-run shelter deaths.
Proclamations & Recognition
- LGBTQ+ History Month (Item 30): Proclaimed October 2025 as LGBTQ+ History Month. Speakers including Nicole Verdes (Lambda Archives) emphasized preserving history amid federal erasure efforts. Councilmembers Campbell, Whitburn, and von Wilpert spoke in support, with von Wilpert noting ongoing Supreme Court arguments on conversion therapy. Unanimously approved (8-0).
- Filipino American History Month (Item 31): Proclaimed October 2025 as Filipino American History Month. Multiple students and community members from Southwestern College spoke about the importance of ethnic studies. Councilmembers Lee, Ila Rivera, and Foster co-sponsored. Unanimously approved (8-0).
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Item 32): Proclaimed October 2025 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Councilmember Moreno shared personal family history; Leah Brun (Susan G. Komen San Diego) noted one in six women in San Diego will be diagnosed. Councilmember von Wilpert linked the proclamation to federal healthcare cuts. Unanimously approved (8-0).
- Claremont 75th Anniversary (S500): Recognized the 75th anniversary of the Claremont neighborhood. Nicole Crosby (Claremont Town Council) invited the public to a celebration on October 18. Unanimously approved (8-0).
Public Comments & Testimony (Proclamations)
- Several members of the public spoke in support of the proclamations, including students and representatives of Lambda Archives.
- One speaker (the original) criticized the city for deaths at the "Tent City" shelter, stating another person died that morning from an overdose, and called for action. The speaker's time concluded without response from the council.
Consent Calendar
Items 50–55 and 100–105 were approved together, with a correction to item 101 (effective date changed to October 15, 2025). Key items and comments:
- Item 101 (Animal Services Fee Schedule): Councilmembers Moreno and Ila Rivera voted no, citing increased costs for residents and lack of distinction between residents and non-residents. Rest of council approved (8-0, with two no votes on 101).
- Item 102 (Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention): Councilmember Moreno thanked appointee Jesse Schmidt.
- Item 103 (Consolidated Plan Advisory Board): Councilmember Lee congratulated appointee Peter Kong Fu Thone.
- Item 104 (Climate Advisory Board Reappointments): Councilmembers Campbell, Foster, and Lee recognized reappointees including Josh Dean and Kelly Linden.
- Item 105 (Commission for Arts and Culture): Councilmember Campillo supported appointee Dr. Kathy Hassan.
Discussion Items
- Gaslamp Quarter Grand Jury Report Response (Item 330): The IBA presented a proposed response to the grand jury report on the Gaslamp Enforcement Team (GLET). The report found staffing shortages and recommended expanded daytime bike patrols. The mayor's response disagreed in part, citing operational limits and 200+ sworn vacancies. Recommendation 5 (additional funding for bike patrols) was deemed "not reasonable" due to vacancies. Councilmember Whitburn motioned to approve, noting the need to address bad actors in nightlife. Blair Beekman (Gaslamp Quarter Association) supported the response. Unanimously approved (8-0).
- 2947 E Street Right-of-Way Vacation (Item 332): Staff presented a vacation of a 0.11-acre portion of E Street in Golden Hill, with conditions including a cul-de-sac and storm drain. The applicant previously failed to fulfill conditions in 2012. The Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee recommended approval. One public commenter questioned why no conditions were included. Councilmember Whitburn motioned to approve; Councilmember Campbell seconded. Unanimously approved (8-0).
Key Outcomes
- Proclamations: All four proclaimed items (30, 31, 32, S500) approved unanimously (8-0).
- Consent Agenda: Approved 8-0, with Councilmembers Moreno and Ila Rivera voting no on item 101.
- Gaslamp Grand Jury Response: Approved unanimously (8-0) with the mayor's recommended responses.
- E Street Vacation: Approved unanimously (8-0) with conditions.
- Adjournment: Councilmember Foster adjourned the meeting in memory of Pastor Glenn A. McKinney. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
Non-Agenda Public Comment
- Multiple speakers addressed topics including: deaths at Tent City, marijuana industry risks, youth drug prevention (Red Ribbon Week), thirdhand smoke disclosures in housing, Torrey Pines Gliderport conflicts, and mistrust in city government. Speaker 'the original' again raised the issue of shelter deaths and urged council to investigate. Councilmember Ila Rivera requested information from the mayor's office about deaths at city shelters.
Statistics & Facts Mentioned
- Breast cancer: 1 in 8 U.S. women will be diagnosed; 44,000 deaths expected in 2025; San Diego rate is 1 in 6.
- Housing: 20-year high in new housing production; 325 affordable homes in Claremont under construction; 550+ affordable homes to open in next few weeks; Midway Rising project proposed 4,000+ homes.
- Police vacancies: Over 200 sworn vacancies in SDPD.
- Youth tobacco exposure: 64% of 6th–12th graders exposed to secondhand e-cigarette smoke (2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey).
- Marijuana in youth suicides: 43% of youth under 25 suicide toxicology reports in San Diego County contained marijuana (2022).
Meeting Transcript
Today, we are here to recognize great strides forward in production of housing here. And to be clear, we need more, as the previous speakers have said, the mayor and the council member, we need more. We need more resources for for homelessness prevention. We need more resources to build affordable homes. We need more community plan updates, such are moving forward to the council as we speak, and we need continued improvements in permitting. However, we're here today to mark great progress a number of these fronts. The programs and policies that are cited in the homes report uh indicate a city that is serious about solving the housing issue. It has led to the greatest surge of new housing in San Diego in 20 years. It has been since 2004 was the last year we built as much housing in a given year that we actually need on an annual basis. We are making huge strides toward meeting that number again, and this is the largest number. I will say again, these past two years have been the largest surge of new housing since 2004. And that's been a result of a number of policies, but I'd like to highlight one the affordable, the permit now for affordable housing here, where we've seen as the mayor referenced nine day turnarounds in some cases for projects that are 100% affordable. These part these policies that are championed by Mayor Gloria, the City Council, and by community leaders have been directly responsible for the surge in housing, and it has allowed us finally to see some light at the end of the tunnel. So as I said initially, we need to bring more resources to the table. But we have reason to celebrate today the policies and programs that have made San Diego the most pro-housing city in the state of California. And we have to acknowledge the great progress that we have made and uh the challenges uh that are still ahead of us, but we can overcome them. With that, uh this you know, again, acknowledging uh that this homes report is one of the best we've seen in many, many years. Uh let me introduce uh Ian Grooms, a Claremont resident, a housing advocate, and a former community planning group member, Mr. Grooms. Thank you, Stephen. Good morning, everyone. My name is Ian Grooms and I'm a Claremont resident. I formerly served as the vice chair of the Claremont Community Planning Group. I am pleased that our city is building more housing. New homes add desperately needed inventory to our region, providing more housing opportunities to more people. Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies found that there are, quote, substantial housing supply shortages nationwide, including in San Diego. To ensure that our city provides homes for those who need them, Sandag concluded that the city must plan for new homes. Because of Mayor Gloria's leadership, the city is making progress toward achieving its housing construction goals. In Claremont alone, 325 new affordable homes are under construction near Mount Etna Drive. The project reached the construction phase faster, thanks to Mayor Gloria's affordable housing permit now program. In South Claremont, we're fulfilling the objectives of the housing action package by turning a desolate parking lot into 200 new homes. Projects like these are moving forward citywide. These examples demonstrate how pro housing policies provide effective, tangible improvements to our housing supply. The permitting data is clear. Our city's housing policies are working. I'd like to thank Mayor Gloria and his team for implementing meaningful housing policy reforms. These reforms are allowing more people to access housing, aligning with the San Diego Strategic Plan's mission to provide everyone with a safe place they call home. I'm excited that we've made extraordinary progress thus far, and I look forward to continuing to see more progress in the future. Thank you. Now let's turn it over to Mayor Gloria for some concluding comments. We have community planning groups for uh all of our neighborhoods, staffed by people who care deeply about their community. Ian's one of them, and I appreciate uh your uncompensated service to the city of San Diego, Ian. Uh so uh he alluded to uh the upcoming uh plan update for uh Claremont. Uh that's in addition to ones that are underway in the college area in the mid-city communities, places uh like City Heights, uh Rolando uh uh Kensington Talmage. Uh more of these are just are to come. And in the next few weeks alone, I want to let you know that we will hold grand openings at three separate affordable housing communities, totaling more than 550 new affordable homes. That's just the next couple of weeks alone. Again, this momentum is ongoing and everywhere. I also would point out that just last week the transformational Midway Rising project uh was recommended unanimously by the Planning Commission and this beginning its approval process uh when it and will eventually arrive uh for the city council's consideration. If adopted, uh, when complete, it will add more than four thousand new homes here in San Diego at the site of the current San Diego Sports Arena, roughly half of which will be deed restricted affordable housing for San Diegans.
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