San Diego City Council Special Meeting Summary - December 17, 2025
San Diego City Council Special Meeting Summary - December 17, 2025
The San Diego City Council convened on December 17, 2025, to address routine administrative updates, confirm council committee assignments for 2026, and approve the updated 2025-2026 Legislative Platform. The meeting featured significant public commentary regarding political accountability, surveillance technology (ALPR), and housing policies, followed by a detailed discussion on San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) challenges. The council concluded with the adjournment of the Housing Authority to allow the City Council to recess for a special event before reconvening later in the afternoon.
Consent Calendar
- Item 702: Council committee assignments and appointment of members to the Audit Committee for 2026 were approved by an 8-1 vote, with Councilmember Campio dissenting based on concerns regarding public engagement and committee transparency.
- Item 703: Appointments of Mayor Todd Gloria and Council members to outside organizations for 2026 were approved unanimously (9-0).
- First Amendment to Lobbying Contract: The approval of the First Amendment to the federal legislative and executive branch lobbying contract with Holland and Knight LLP and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLC was approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Public accountability and leadership: Multiple speakers expressed concern that the Council and Mayor are increasingly limiting opportunities for public input on land use and housing regulations. They criticized the Mayor for lacking accessibility and for using appointments to "burnish his reputation" rather than engaging with constituents.
- Surveillance Technology (ALPR): Representatives from organizations including the Trust Coalition, San Diego 350, and the Student Civil Liberties Union strongly opposed the platform's stance on automating license plate readers (ALPR). They argued that opposing restrictions on ALPR deployment ignores public safety risks, civil liberty concerns, and the history of abuse by vendors like Flock Safety.
- Housing and Health: A public health educator supported the platform's goals but requested explicit language requiring all affordable housing receiving public funds to be designated smoke-free to close an inequity for residents in privately owned subsidized units.
- San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC): Speakers highlighted the traumatic impact of federal funding cuts on Section 8 voucher holders. Residents testified that their rent contributions are increasing, threatening their stability, while advocates called on the City to hold HUD accountable for historically creating problems through past federal policies (e.g., "Negro Removal Act") that are now being resolved through local cost-cutting.
- Critique of Process: Several speakers criticized the Council's decision to recess during the Housing Authority portion of the meeting to attend a special event, viewing it as disrespectful to the public and a potential obstruction of transparency regarding grant management.
Discussion Items
- Legislative Platform (Item 700): Director of Government Affairs Walt Bishop presented the 2025-2026 platform, which outlines priorities for state and federal advocacy, including support for home hardening, opposition to federal cuts to HUD, and support for fusion energy. During deliberation, the Council engaged in extensive "sausage making" (language revisions) regarding:
- ALPR Technology: After significant debate on the nuance between "regulation" and "deployment," the Council agreed to support legislation that "preserves San Diego's control over its deployment and regulation of automated license plate reader technology" and added language opposing federal intervention.
- Autonomous Vehicles: Councilmember Elo Rivera raised concerns about Waymo's safety record and impact on livelihoods, leading to an amendment striking the platform's support for increasing autonomous vehicle utilization.
- Additional Amendments: The Council accepted amendments to add language supporting CDBG-DR funding, converting highways to multimodal corridors, expanding focus on low- and moderate-income economic development, and ensuring support for Prop 36 treatment mandates.
- SDHC Update: Interim Executive Director Lisa Jones delivered an informational report detailing the severe fiscal deficit in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program caused by diminishing federal resources. She explained that the Board approved adjustments to family rent contributions to avoid ending assistance for over 1,700 families, noting that leadership positions have been eliminated through attrition to contain costs.
Key Outcomes
- Legislative Platform Adoption: The 2025-2026 Legislative Platform was adopted by a 6-3 vote. The final text includes the amended language regarding ALPR local control, the deletion of autonomous vehicle promotion, and several added priorities for disaster recovery and economic development. Councilmembers Ilo Rivera, Moreno, and Foster voted against the measure due to the ALPR language.
- Council Assignments: Councilmember Lee was confirmed as President Pro Tem. Councilmember Campio declined his previous assignment to the Land Use and Housing committee, citing a lack of meaningful debate opportunities.
- SDHC Fiscal Strategy: The SDHC confirmed a strategy to adjust Section 8 family rent contributions to bridge a federal funding gap, with changes slated for rollout in late 2026 pending HUD approval.
- Meeting Adjournments: The meeting recessed at 12:25 PM to allow members to attend a special event, with a plan to reconvene the Housing Authority at 1:30 PM to complete informational items before the City Council adjourned the day's session.
Meeting Transcript
You see a San Diego work best out in the field and our employees, please give them a high five, uh a thumbs up because they are doing the work on behalf of the city and our residents, and they're really proud to be doing what they're doing. Three, two, one. Peter Seidler loved this city. And he didn't just talk about making San Diego a better place. He actually did it. And so naming this street Peter Sidler Way uh is a promise that we will continue the work that he began to lead with heart to lift up those in need and to build a San Diego where everyone has a place in this great city. For both Peter and Trevor and Tony, who all have had a tremendous impact on the Padres franchise and a tremendous impact in our San Diego community. It's fitting that these three streets named after these three great men will continue to greet Padres fans when they come to Petco Park for decades to come. Peter Love, Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman. And we would be humbled to join them with this honor. For me personally, whenever I get to drive up Imperial and now part of Peter Seidler Way in the car, I get a big kick out of it because my kids are always excited. Go ahead and tremble, Dad. We're gonna get on go on your street for a minute. I just think of Peter's family and the fun that those kids will have when they get to come up on that street. His compassion, his vision that has left an indelible mark on the city of San Diego, and today it quite literally becomes a part of our city's map. Peter showed us the way, and now fittingly he has one named after him. Coast ride, please. I was in the Marine Corps four years. I was in Coronado. I was in the Navy for four years. So this is our annual veteran and military uh spouse uh appreciation breakfast. This is my fourth time coming here. I will not miss this. I love coming here. I love this event. I think by by this event right here, it shows that they support the veterans. I feel appreciated. I feel valued. I learned a lot of skills in the military that helped me to be the person that I am. The the military service has definitely been a benefit to me in how I do my city work. I'm appreciating us doing our support to the military. This year there was more police officers than ever before. We never had this many police officers. I think it would be encouraging if we could just get the other veterans to get here. I've seen this grow. Uh and like I said, I know that there are a lot more veterans that can be here. We can pack this place out. You have given to this nation, and you continue to give to this city, and we see you, we salute you, we respect you, and most of all, we thank you. We are here today in Oak Park to celebrate Kate Sessions Day and to honor a woman who helped make San Diego what we all know and love today as America's finest city. Kate Sessions knew a good idea when she planted one. She believed the trees could turn uh what was then a city of dry brush hills into something absolutely beautiful and something that we all enjoy today. All right. Look at that. Not only are we just celebrating new trees that we plant in the ground, we want to celebrate our existing trees that we have that already provide us lots of benefits and shade and ecosystem services. Kate Sessions taught us that when you plant a tree, you're literally planting hope for cooler streets, cleaner air, and stronger communities. And that's what you all are doing here today, and I'm so grateful that you take time out of your busy schedules to help plant these 30 trees all across Oak Park. Happy Kate Sessions Day, everybody. Today marks an important milestone for Coral Gate and the Sanny Cedro community, one that has been years in the making. We were trying to get them to like upgrade the swing, the slides, evening out some sidewalks, getting rid of some trees. We never imagined that we were gonna get a new park for Coral Gate.
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