All right, good morning.

I will now call the City Council meeting of Monday, March 2nd, 2026 to order.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Thank you, Council President.

Councilmember Campbell.

I'm here, thank you.

Councilmember Whitburn.

Councilmember Foster.

Here.

Councilmember Von Wolpert.

Council President Pro Tem Lee.

Here.

Councilmember Campio.

Councilmember Moreno.

Present.

Councilmember Elo Rivera.

And Council President Lacava.

Present.

Also attending the meeting our city attorney Heather Ferber, independent budget analyst Charles Matica, and myself, your city clerk, Deanna Fuentes.

All right, thank you, City Clerk.

The quorum is now present.

We will begin this morning with an invocation by Clerk Fuentes, followed with the land acknowledgement and the pledge of allegiance led by Councilmember Foster.

Grant those who hold office in this city the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice that with steadfast purpose they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all people.

We respectfully acknowledge 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 Kumiyai 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 Kumiai Nation, connected to our past and committed to a thriving future.

Please face the flag, hand over your heart and begin.

For a maximum of three minutes if three or more items are on the agenda.

If you'd like to speak to these items, please be sure to submit a speaker ship to the front of the room.

If you're participating virtually, now's a time to raise your hand.

I would want to be too cool.

I would really like to know what it's called.

I want you to know that I re-wrote and re-roll and re-roll my comment.

Finally this morning I decided to get into my car.

So I'll take it.

Thank you so much for listening to the beautiful game.

Thank you.

That does conclude public comment on the closed session agenda.

Thank you, Council President.

Alright, thank you.

With that, we will now recess into closed session and reconvene council today at 2 PM or shortly thereafter.

And bring me life eternally.

No time for more than got no time.

No time for more.

So I don't mind all my first inside.

Just when I was low, feeling short of stable All the chin tins gives inside on the label Shees, she's a shame can she take before Can I be a friend?

We'll forget the past for maybe I'm not able to break in the bend here and now Will we air because I have found all that shimmers in this world is shown to fade away to dream ship dreams horizontally white paper Lavender and cream builds up a flight reality escape says that's for rules of all the life I'm somewhere between never late now until I from a savior Shall I bring it up now will we ever be again all that shit and this world is short to fade away to the world too far out far out away to fire away to the fire makes you loud to five gotta be a so down I gotta be a soul down the stories getting old now yeah But I just looked in the mirror two things I'm looking so good I'm looking gonna fall in a soul gets Mr.

Five Now you know Yes Mr.

All right, good afternoon.

I will now reconvene the city council meeting of Monday, March 2nd, 2026.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Thank you, Council President.

Councilmember Campbell.

Here.

Councilmember Whitburn.

Here.

Councilmember Foster.

Councilmember Von Wilper.

Council President Pro Tem Lee.

Here.

Councilmember Campillo.

Councilmember Moreno.

Present.

Councilmember Elo Rivera.

Present.

And Council President Lacava.

President.

Also attending the meeting or Assistant City Attorney Michelle Garland, independent budget analyst, Charles Monica, advisor in the mayor's office, Mr.

Wilde, and myself, your city clerk, Deanna Fuentes.

Thank you.

And we see the city clerk has comments.gov backslash city clerk on the front web page there.

We encourage everyone to participate and please give us feedback on how we can better support public engagement in city council meetings.

Thank you, Council President.

So with that, please go over how the public can offer their testimony.gov slash C C M T G.

With that, please introduce item two hundred.

Item two hundred is an informational item.

It is the annual update from the San Diego City Port Commissioners.

If you'd like to pres if you'd like to speak on this item, now is the time to submit your speaker slip to the front of the room into the clear box, or if you are participating remotely, come on in.

If you are participating remotely, please be sure to raise your hand by pressing star nine or the raise your hand icon.

Thank you, Council President.

All right, thank you.

Well, welcome to our chambers this time.

And these are our port commissioners or the commissioners representing the city of San Diego.

San Diego, excuse me.

Please introduce yourselves for the record and let us know how much time you need for your presentation.

Good afternoon, Council President.

Uh 15 minutes, please.

All right, when you're ready.

Go ahead.

Next slide.

Oh, oh no, sorry, I would I apologize.

Um you're very excited.

Good afternoon, Council President, members of the City Council.

I'm Michael Zucat.

I'm the Vice Chair of the Board of Port Commissioners, joined by Commissioner Sid Varakra and Commissioner Danielle Moore.

We are your three San Diego appointees.

We're going to give you a brief um update on a number of items today broken down into three categories parks and open space, economic development, and we're going to tell you about some exciting uh events coming through our Thailands activation program.

Next slide, please.

Um very good.

So beginning with parks and open space, we're going to begin with what will be the uh largest veterans park on the west coast, uh Freedom Park at Burnham Navy Pier.

Um if you look at the rendering there, that's Navy Pier on the left side of this photograph.

And the park will begin at that um eastern edge of the pier, wrap all the way around the midway over to the G Street Mole on the other side, um, and 10 acres in all.

So this is a very substantial uh park that is under construction today.

Uh the port demolished last year, that headhouse uh warehouse looking uh structure at the at the base of the pier.

It's it's it's nearing completion of the under uh underwater uh reinforcements and engineering that's going on.

The Midway Museum are partners in this effort, uh continue their fundraising for the construction, and we're excited that completion is scheduled to be in time for Veterans Day uh 2028.

Next slide, please.

Uh moving on to Cesar Chavez Park Improvements.

Uh, this is a this is a uh project that is in uh a more preliminary design phase.

We're working closely with uh council member uh Moreno, the Barrio Logan Community Planning Group, Chicano Park Steering Committee.

We've had a few public workshops and pop-up events trying to come up with a collaborative uh design and a plan to make these improvements.

Uh at the moment we're talking about a splash pad, we're talking about uh more lawn space for picnics and gatherings, uh a perched beach sort of above above the water, Aztec inspired hardscape, shade structures, and other uh amenities.

Although this is in preliminary uh design, the good news is this um uh this project is basically already funded uh through something at the port called the Balance Capital Program, which is something where each uh member city's commissioners sort of uh guide some public money, and this is the choice of the three commissioners before you in terms of San Diego, and so this this project is largely funded.

Construction we're hoping is fall of 2027, completed in the spring of 2028.

Next slide, please.

Um, another 10-acre park uh currently uh next slide, please.

Um for East Harbor Island.

Uh this is the part of East Harbor Island that you probably haven't been to before unless you made a wrong turn.

This is the part that is right by Harbor Island Drive.

It's currently uh uh parking lots for overflow rental cars and and construction areas for the for the airport right now.

Um it's gonna be the future site for Top Golf, which my colleagues gonna talk about in a second, but we're talking about that uh what do you call that teal aquamarine uh around it?

That's a 10-acre park all on uh the waterfront.

There's also a proposal here for about a six and a half acre entertainment and restaurant district in this area.

Uh the the part of Harbor Island that most people are familiar with is that bottom of the photograph part with the restaurants and the hotels.

This is right now literally a walled off sort of industrial section of of uh of East Harbor Island, and it will and this entire uh development and park space will be transformative.

Next slide, please.

Finally, at least for uh for my part of this presentation, want to update you on the maritime clean air strategy, something the port adopted in 2021.

The purpose of it was and the goal of it was health equity for all.

Basically, what can we as a port do more to improve on the lives of the port communities who surround the operations of the port.

And um, and one of the goals of the of the of the strategy was to uh put our goals uh make them aggressive and put them in writing and hope to generate uh federal and state money to help fund those activities.

And I think it's fair to say that even our most optimistic um hopes uh were far exceeded to date.

We've raised um sort of a quarter billion dollars in the last five years to fund um uh electric cranes completely electrify, almost completely electrify the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal.

By the way, all that electric equipment is is um the electricity from it comes from a solar-powered microgrib grid at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal, which also saves uh money and reduces further emissions.

So very grateful to the work of our staff at the port, especially Job Nelson, who you already know and his team who have really gone above and beyond in securing this money.

And the result of that of those investments uh were demonstrated in our emissions inventory, which was just published, and it showed that in a five-year period uh we had a 30% decrease in nitrogen oxides and a 46% decrease in diesel particulate matter emissions from port-related activities in just a five-year period.

And so we're pretty excited about that.

Just at our last board meeting, we uh we approved uh uh our clean cargo port grant with EPA, which did come through.

We have a couple of partners on that.

Dole, our main tenant at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal and Pesha Automotive, who's our who runs the terminal down in National City.

Um also in that grant, uh, we've got funded uh a workforce development staff member uh who's gonna who's gonna help promote clean tech uh careers.

And so um we're excited about these results and look forward to continuing the progress.

Uh moving on, Commissioner Varakoro.

Good afternoon, uh Sid Barakra for the record.

Um happy to be here.

I also want to acknowledge, as Commissioner Zuquet mentioned, uh Job Nelson, Job Nelson, Scott Chadwick, and Ron Powell.

I think they need no introduction from all of you who have joined us today as well.

Um I'm going to share uh three projects all under uh environmental review at this uh point in time, but as you'll see, we see the uh the end of the tunnel or the light at the end of the tunnel on all three of them.

Starting with uh Seaport San Diego, um it is our most ambitious project uh in its planning stages.

I know you are all familiar with it.

Uh this mixed use project proposes free public uh uses and commercial ventures, uh including plazas, parks, promenades, piers, marinas, hotels, retail, and restaurants, uh, commercial fishing uses, multiple visitor attractions, an urban beach uh and educational uses as well.

Uh it would unfold on about 39 acres of land and 63 acres of water that includes parts of Seaport Village, Tuna Harbor, Embarcadero Marina Park North, and Ruco Park.

So, as I said, it's under um uh environmental review, and we actually anticipate the next the completion of that review later this year.

Next slide, please.

The second project uh I want to share is the uh is 1220 Pacific Highway.

So after completing a deal with the U.S.

Navy to acquire its leasehold, uh the port staff is preparing to present a proposed use for the site at our March 10th Board of uh Port Commissioners meeting.

Uh and we are actually considering a proposal that promises to bring in a new public attraction to the area next to the intracontinental hotel uh along the embarcadero.

So I think all three of us are excited to see a development plan that transforms what has been uh an unusable 3.4 acre cluster of Navy office buildings since 1949 uh into an activated space for our community.

Next slide, please.

Vice Chair uh Zuquette also talked a little bit about East Harbor Drive, uh or East Harbor Island, excuse me, uh, and the park.

Uh this is part of our activation program with Top Golf.

Um so this pro uh proposed project sits on 10 acres, uh, again, also occupied currently by rental car companies.

Uh it's also under environmental review, uh, and we're expecting an EIR uh to be circulated for public stud and comment this fall.

Once it is uh the EIR is certified uh by the board, uh Port of Port Commissioners, uh, it will be submitted to the California Coastal Commission for review.

Um, and it is that's a crucial step that would allow construction to begin.

Uh Top Golf promises to serve as a magnet that we think will attract the public and provides a jolt of energy uh to East Harbor Drive.

Between the planning phases of East Harbor Island Park and Promenade and Top Golf, um, we uh the three of us are in particular looking to see how we can reimagine this space that is Vice Chair Zuquette mentioned has been um just not usable uh for the public and our community.

Next slide.

And finally, for me and my portion of this presentation, our cruise uh uh industry.

So the port is experiencing a rebound in its uh cruise ship business.

We had 107 cruise ship calls with 389,000 passengers this season.

So, as uh just to give a comparison in the 2024-2025 cruise season, we recorded 75 cruise ships and welcomed um just about 260,000 passengers at that time.

So during that season, uh cruise lines had repositioned ships to Asia and Australia uh and and tested other markets.

Um but um I am I want to say congratulations to our maritime team who have really worked hard to kind of engage the cruise line industry, and um this year's performances is similar to our 2023-2024 season.

Uh, and that's when Global Traveler Magazine recognized us, San Diego as the best cruise port in the world.

That season saw 101 cruise calls with 340,000 passengers.

So, to give you a sense of why this matters for all of us, each voyage that begins and ends in San Diego, so a home port call injects two million dollars into the local economy through ship provisioning and visitor spending.

A stop here by a cruise ship that originates at a different port brings in about $600,000 into our local economy.

Um, this year's fiscal year, the port's cruise businesses will generate an estimated 157 million dollars in economic impact to the San Diego County.

And I see we're down to three and a half minutes, so I'm gonna turn it over to my colleague, Commissioner Moore.

Hello.

Hello, everyone.

Uh Danielle Moore, very proud to be um to serve on this board.

And one of the best parts is being able to serve with the other commissioners.

Commissioner Zuquet is is modest uh when he talks about the MCAS, but I'm sure you all observed how he stood up a little taller, his chest stuck out a little bit more.

And that's because of the work that was done with the Miss with MCAS was during his tenure as chair.

So as he is vice chair this year, we are very excited about his leadership next year so that he can continue introducing more innovative ideas like MCAS.

I'm gonna walk us quickly through some other um exciting things that are happening at the Port of San Diego, the first one being Harbor Drive 2.0.

And this project is about modernizing movement.

Uh we reduce truck idling, improve safety, and make access more predictable, while also moving goods better and making breathing easy easier.

Harbor Drive is a frontline corridor.

It has to work for freight visitors and nearby neighbors, especially communities impacted by diesel emissions.

And it is not just a traffic project, it's a health and mobility project.

Aligned with our emissions reduction goals and regional partners like Caltrans and Sandag, who have been instrumental in making this project come to life.

And while we're modernizing, oh, one thing I also wanted to note that is already this year the port participated in a joint federal raise grant application with Caltrans with the goal of furthering this corridor concept.

And also environmental analysis is expected to be released for public review this fall.

Next slide, please.

The San Diego Bay has really become known all over the world for the innovation that we are doing in our San Diego Bay in terms of incubating technologies and concepts that will improve the blue tech economy.

And so the Board of Commissioners last month approved the addition of our 13th early stage water dependent company to the roster of the port's Blue Economy Incubator Portfolio.

The new entrant is Nioka Design Corporation, also known as Lux Blue.

And one of the things that makes them so excited is that exciting is that they have patented underwater bioluminescent lighting solution that will replace plastic glow sticks, which are harmful to the environment.

The board agreed to fund the Lux Bio Startup for up to $350,000 for 18 months, where they will be able to use the bay to test their enzyme powered underwater lighting technology at several locations.

And in exchange, they will pay us up to 2.1 million dollars over time from eventual sales of their product.

One of the proof points when we look at our entire portfolio is that we have had uh innovative technologies that have removed remove marine debris at a scale of over 10,000 pounds.

We have also had uh living shoreline where 60 plus species were documented on bioenhancing armor units within months.

We're able to see real-time environmental monitoring that replaces weeks long lab delays with actionable data, and so that same commitment to a healthier, more accessible bay shows up in how we invest in our parks, starting with Cesar Chavez Park.

Next slide, please.

Commissioner Zouquet talked about uh some of the work that is doing to redesign the park in collaboration with Councilmember Moreno's office.

Um I want to just acknowledge that that work is not about you know consulting with the community afterwards, but from the very beginning being integrated in the community and really getting feedback about what they want.

And so the port will host a free day at the park cultural celebration at Cesar Chavez Park on Saturday, April 11th from 11 to 3 p.m.

This family friendly event is part of the port's expanded access program that really is designed to bring people out, bring residents out to our parks to be able to enjoy the waterfront.

Um, and we are able to sponsor a day of fun and entertainment.

And highlights include multicultural entertainment featuring local artists, hands-on children's activities, interactive community booths, and vouchers for free food and beverages.

Uh, we are entering our third year of water activation program, and we'll have similar events at other parks throughout the bay.

All right, our last slide is focus on the big bay boom.

Every July, we get very excited about this event that brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to San Diego.

The port began to be the title sponsor of the Big Bay Boom this 4th of July with the fireworks event that draws crowds of 300,000 attendees.

The Pyrotechnic Show provides a boost to hotels, restaurants, and small businesses, and this year's show will be special as the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The Port is partnering with Fleet Week San Diego as events' new nonprofit partner and fiscal sponsor, aligning with celebration with an organization that directly supports active duty service member members and veterans.

And we also are excited to brought provide sponsorship to support cruise ships that are positioned in the bay during the event.

All right.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

And that concludes our report.

Um we're happy to take any questions, and I did just want to end on something that Commissioner Moore references, which is we're very grateful for the opportunity to serve.

We appreciate the confidence you show in us to do that on behalf of the people of St.

Diego.

And we also I think I'm speaking for everybody.

We really enjoy working uh with each other as well.

And um, so I wanted to thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you, Council President.

All right, thank you.

Thank you for the presentation.

Thank you for taking the time to come here and make the annual report and your service to the port and to the city uh as our representatives.

So with that, um clerk, please go to public comment.

Thank you, Council President.

I've started the five-minute timer here in Council Chambers because I do not have any speaker slips for this item here in Council Chambers.

Going to those online, John Stump, if you can please unmute after that is Andrea Ebbing and then 8700.

John Stump.

Hi.

Good afternoon.

You know, the port report was very good.

The problem is the port, on one hand, claims that it's trying to produce carbon pollution, global warming, and the environment.

All of the things that the port does create global warming and carbon production.

So what's needed in the future is that for each activity, we need to have an accounting of how much carbon, how much global warming pollution was created, and what they did to decrease it.

Folks, there's no free lunch.

And on the other hand, increase our activities that burn fossil fuels and pollute the atmosphere.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next is Andra Ebbing, if you can please unmute.

Hi guys, that was a really good presentation.

I think the um the port in that area is just one of my favorite parts of San Diego.

I think it's a really it's a the place where upon arrival, everyone is going to remember.

So I like the plans I just saw a lot.

Um I especially the last one where uh you know showed what's gonna like go over to Seaport Village.

And then just to um what piggyback on the last comment.

I I know we have um like a long history of fireworks, and that's part of our skyline.

That's part of San Diego for SeaWorld and all that.

But I almost wonder if it's time to start looking at drone shows um versus fireworks for um the emissions and that sort of thing, but and the waste that is produced from those shows.

Um, not quite sure what the regulations would be FAA-wise or aviation-wise, but um, there's certainly some really solid vendors out there that do amazing drone shows that could be a great addition and attraction to San Diego.

Um, I think that whole area and everything we just saw could also be a great um attraction for, I don't know who's doing our tourism, what used to be Convis convention visitors bureau, if we have something like that.

But if we could start campaigning in feeder markets, what I just saw um from that you know, visual is enough for me to walk to visit if it was like Long Beach or Anahab or something like that.

Um, and that's it.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Next is 8700.

If you can please unmute.

After that is Hector and then Kathleen Lippett Uh, thank you.

Uh Joyce and Yada C D three.

So good to see all of you representing the port.

Uh, a great presentation from all three.

Uh and I have to say this on record every time.

I love our working waterfront.

So you have three big categories, and you covered them all very well.

I want to say a couple of things.

First of all, the port honors our military in big ways.

The military are one or a big part of our San Diego family.

Thank you so much.

Uh, health equity for all, um, maintaining the uh clear uh air strategy.

I believe that's a correct uh saying of that.

Thank you, thank you for that.

Uh love the electric cranes.

I just oh, when they were when they arrived, uh it's just beyond belief.

They're they're so amazing.

Thank you for that.

Uh 1220 Pacific Highway uh looks positive and fresh.

Wow, 1940s buildings.

Wow, that's well over, I guess about 85 years old.

That those are strong buildings.

Um best cruise port in the world.

Uh, that's an amazing statement, and the amount of uh economic uh impact because of uh being the best port, uh cruise port in the world is so so appreciated.

We need more revenue, everybody.

Uh love the uh love the day at the park.

Uh it's terrific.

I would just ask you to do this.

Most of the people I talk to in the downtown area do not know much about the working waterfront.

Spread the word.

Thank you for those comments.

The five-minute timer has concluded here in Council Chambers.

There are two people in the queue, no additional people will be taken.

Hector and Kathleen Lippett, your final two speakers.

Hector, if you can please unmute.

Hi, Hector here.

Hey, the port has really had their stuff together from the get-go.

You guys are doing a great job.

I just wish the city could model their game out with you guys.

Everything's looking great.

The veterans thing down at Midway.

I think you guys got to get on it, man, because uh mailing mailing over there is burning daylight.

The guy's getting old.

You guys gotta step it up like six months so it can be done before he uh checks out.

But uh he's a great guy.

So also he's building up he wants to build a tunnel on the strand.

I don't know if he's told you about it, but Naylan's thinking about trying to do that with the Navy.

So to open up another part of San Diego Bay, and it would be like on the southern end there, put a uh jetties in there and have a tunnel go the road go underneath it.

That'd be another project to work on with the port.

And whatever you guys are doing, full speed ahead, get it done.

And thanks a lot for your time.

Thanks.

Thank you.

And our final speaker is Kathleen Lippett, if you can please unmute.

Thank you.

Good morning, and thank you for the presentation.

It was great presentation.

Really do appreciate all your suggestions and plans to increase and improve park amenities and park acreage.

The clean air strategy is something the San Diegans will welcome.

And I am hoping that there is pushback from the port as to the taking or transitioning of Mission Bay Parkland to commercial amenities.

And taking away any of that from the public is really a disturbing prospect.

But thank you for all of your doing right now.

Appreciate it.

Thank you for letting me speak.

Thank you.

That concludes public comment on item 200.

All right, thank you, City Clerk.

Uh as a reminder, this is an information item and no motions required.

We'll turn over to council members for questions and comments.

And we'll start with council member Ilo Rivera.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, thank you to our port commissioners.

Really appreciate all three of you.

Um the time that you all spend, um, the way that you show up and um I really do appreciate.

I think that San Diego is super well served by all three of you, and I appreciate you doing the work that you do.

Um the updates were great, um, lots of good stuff.

I I really very much appreciate how much of what is is coming online will benefit or at least can benefit San Diegans and provide access points for San Diegans, uh, especially young people.

Um, even shelter the shelter island um uh park, the little park that that's there.

I took my son there a couple weeks ago, um, and it's a great little playground.

Um, so appreciate the updates there and the progress that's being made.

Um I think that's pretty incredible in terms of the the updates on on cruise ships.

I'm curious, is there something in particular that you think changed?

Uh or is it like they experimented elsewhere and kind of forgot what a good thing they have here?

What do you think the the difference was on that front?

Um thank you, council member.

I think it's actually a combination of multiple things.

Um, I think we've heard from um the cruise industry that um their guests, their cruisers, they actually really like the San Diego home port.

I think that actually drove drives a lot of their thinking.

Um, I think that they also did as to your kind of like thinking about it, that they did do a lot of experimentation in Asia, and I think just the you know, typically three to five day kind of trip to through Baja Um actually is one that works really well, even just from a not just from a visitor experience or customer experience, but also just from like an economics perspective as well.

And then I I can't thank enough our maritime team who have been really diligent about going out and actually engaging each of our cruise line industries and keeping ones like Holland America, who's been a home port for some time now, very much engaged uh and excited about uh what we have to offer.

Um and I know that there are a couple new cruise liners that are looking at doing home ports with us, so I actually think the next time we come here, we might have some bigger updates for you.

But I think it's a combination of those three.

I just want to add to that.

You know, I think when Commissioner Varakova talks about they like the San Diego home port, they like being able to be dropped in the middle of our city and all that it offers.

They like being adjacent to the airport, um, where you look at other places in Southern California where it's so remote.

The port is isolated from a lot of things that are accessible.

But here in San Diego, you get dropped here and you get access to our entire city, to our transportation system, to the train system, and so it opens up so much for people when they come to San Diego.

They're not just coming to you know, just go to the port, they're coming to see San Diego and see all that it has to offer.

Wait, on that point, I have to share a uh a quick uh anecdote, which was I was at Ralph's uh bagging my groceries in line, and I was wearing my poor San Diego jacket, and the cashier asked me, do you work at the port?

And I said, I actually have one of our commissioners here in San Diego, and she said, When are you bringing back a certain cruise line?

Because I hate going, my husband and I hate going to Long Beach.

So I think that kind of like says it all.

Yeah.

Um thank you.

Um one question I think I've asked every time you all have come.

Um, Pond 20.

What's going on with Pond 20?

What's the progress there?

Thanks, Councilman.

I feel like both of them just looked at me.

Hot potato, hot potato.

So a long process, obviously.

Right.

Um, and at the moment, so there are six uh agencies participating in the uh interagency review team to develop the banking enabling instrument along with the port.

So maybe I should start by for those who are unfamiliar with what a banking enabling instrument is.

That's actually the legal binding agreement uh between the bank the bank sponsor.

Sorry to stop you real quick.

Maybe maybe even a little bit more about what Pond 20 is, if you don't mind if the council president's okay with a little bit of an overview for those who don't know.

Sure.

Uh thank you, council member.

Uh it's it's basically like a wetlands uh mitigation project.

So um ensuring that there's specific space uh that we at the Port of San Diego will um preserve for uh our our uh it's I want to say it's 80 acres.

I'm gonna look at Job Nelson.

Thank you very much.

Council member, I just need to ask you that.

Um that is preserve wetlands mitigation.

So what happens is oftentimes a developer will get uh as they're trying to do a um a project, will be required to have a specific set aside for uh a wetlands mitigation for the development that they're doing, and they'll typically pay off um a certain kind of amount of money for uh uh an in lieu fee that says, okay, here's this cash for preservation, and it's oftentimes just siloed and in different spaces.

This particular project would ensure that that space here at uh on the Tidelands would be preserved and could be used as this bank for other developers who are looking to determine uh projects.

The money that's received can be then turned into uh an equity economic development opportunities.

So it's actually the city of San Diego and um Imperial Beach would be the recipients of those potential uh resources.

I hope that's helpful, council member.

Um and then the actual banking enabling instrument, as I mentioned, is the legally binding agreement between uh the regulatory agencies uh and the bank sponsor, which is the port of San Diego.

Um and and through that agreement, that's where we actually are looking at defining how credits are created, right?

So, like again, I just did a very big overview, but the agreement itself is will determine how those credits are created, how they are released, and then how they are sold.

So the interagency review team currently consists of the Army Corps of Engineers, the EPA, U.S.

Department of Fish and Wildlife Services, NOAA, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the California Coastal Commission.

So where we stand right now is that uh there has been an iterative process of back and forth with questions uh being addressed by the interagency review team.

And currently we have a thousand comments from the uh that uh that team, and we are actually going through those because they're all technical in nature, uh, and the port's plan is to resubmit uh with uh answers to those questions later this spring.

Got it.

And I don't know if there's any way of even projecting out or is there a a hope for when this turns into the sort of wetlands rehab project that is envisioned or or I don't even know if I can say envisioned, but like some folks hope for.

Sometimes, like again, like I once we submit these these questions or these answers, I have a feeling there's gonna be multiple more questions that came from that.

Um I will say this council member.

I uh asked port staff for a monthly meeting to just be updated on where things stand.

So the hope is that we can move this along as fast as possible because it's a real opportunity.

If we can turn this into an economic development um banking instrument for in equity for San Diego and Imperial Beach.

And if I if I think it was natural wetlands or at one point before it was a salt like a commercial salt um pond, right?

That's right.

So there has to be restoration as well.

Got it.

Thank you.

Appreciate that update, and thank you again, everyone, for all the work that you're doing.

Um, really, really appreciate everything that you you're doing and have done.

Thank you, President.

Thank Council Member Rivera.

We'll go next to Councilmember Moreno.

Wonderful, thank you.

And uh thank you for the presentation.

Um I want to thank our port commissioners uh just for everything they do.

Uh San Diego Port, um, there is no other port like it.

I would venture to say in the whole world.

Um extremely dynamic hotels, shipbuilding, Navy, uh, potential mitigation banks, and um city residents, right?

And there is nothing like this.

So um it's really clear to me that a great deal of planning, coordinating, and vision has gone into the efforts that you guys presented.

And I do appreciate the transparency and sharing uh the the progress to us and also to the public.

Um I am very excited about all the projects.

Uh in particular, I want to point out um Harbor Drive 2.0, um, the Pond 20 that was just mentioned, that's in District 8, and especially the significant investment the port is making into Cesar Chavez Park.

Um, as was mentioned, um, Pond 20 is a salt encrusted area, which the port will hopefully uh transfer into a mitigation bank, um, first of its kind in uh the San Diego Bay.

Um I once upon a time was a staffer where uh there were proposals uh for this Pond 20, and um I think one of the most interesting one was a medieval times arena.

Uh obviously we're we're we're uh worlds away from uh uh an arena, but um I will say that um I will be specifically asking what delays have we experienced in Pond 20 at the state level, and you mentioned that uh what was the agency that you guys were the port is waiting is putting together its response to this agency, right?

On uh an array of questions that they have asked.

Uh if I may just um um kind of clarify that uh council member, that's so we're the bank's sponsor uh and so we have to respond to the interagency review team.

So that's called the IR.

Agency review team.

And is that a state agency or is that a federal it's both.

So it's it's the si it's six members of that um of that IRT is the Army Corps of Engineers, uh, EPA, U.S.

Department of Fish and Wildlife Services, NOAA, gotcha, and then the California Regional Water Uh Quality Control Board and the California Coastal Commission.

California Coastal Committee.

Thank you for reiterating that I missed it when you first mentioned it.

Um and so you guys will respond or the port of San Diego will respond.

Um how long will that response take?

Um I again, I think that we've been doing it's been an iterative process, so to be clear, like just so you know, this isn't the first response we've been having back and forth, but the most recent um uh set of questions and comments we received were over a thousand.

Um and so the we're looking at and uh now everybody at the port of San Diego are on the record because I'm saying it that they told us, but it's going to be submitted later this spring.

Later this spring.

Correct.

So before June 20th, 2026.

And and I have a feeling you will be calling me on June 20th.

And I'm just trying to I I want to um I mentioned this earlier.

Um I have until December.

Um, and since I have been working at the city of San Diego, um I feel like this is a missed opportunity because of the land.

The land that we have in Pond 20 is I mean, Poseidon used um uh used it for mitigation right next to Pond 20, and they mitigated for um the desalinization plant in the northern part of the district and northern part of the county.

And it's a I think it's a great opportunity, and I know developers and folks are looking for land um like Pond 20 to bring back to life.

And obviously in the South Bay, um, for any folks who um ever drive over uh towards um going on old state route 75 Palm Avenue uh and you're going over towards the ocean.

It's the big piece of land that's over on your right hand side.

Um unfortunately that's or fortunately, that is what uh the South Bay has um what we got from uh the port, and so we really want to make sure that it's put to work um and that we use it um to the best of its ability.

So we are going to respond before uh summertime, and we don't know this is the first time I ever hear of this agency, so maybe we need to dissect this in another committee to get to know a little bit more about what are the next steps after that, how long does it take?

Uh I I don't think we're the first mitigation bank in the nation.

We might be, I don't know.

Um so just to get more information on what the steps to hold us as legislators accountable and also uh you as our fearless port commissioners accountable as well.

Um that sounds great, council member.

I I will say too, just very quickly, um, this council gave me the honor of of serving on our port commission in February of 2024, and I think it was in um March of that year when I asked for my first meeting about Pond 20, because it seems such a like an opportunity for us.

Uh I will also share that uh Commissioner Dan Malcolm, who represents uh Imperial Beach.

Um he and I have chatted about how he actually was on the uh Imperial Beach Council in the late 90s when the agreement was made to create Pond 20 uh with a negotiated agreement with the environmental justice community as well.

So uh we also have a strong partner in our um uh our uh our fellow city national uh in Imperial Beach for moving this forward.

So and it's in the Imperial Beach's forward redevelopment district, correct.

Which is now confusing because of the disillusion of redevelopment, but that's we're not gonna get into the weeds of things.

I just want to make sure that Pond 20 comes uh to fruition in my lifetime.

I'm 43 years old, about to turn 44.

So I will be pushing um on that front, but thank you for that, and obviously more to come.

Um also equally excited about Harbor Drive 2.0.

Um, it's a significant project that will contribute to the vast industry sector in Barrio Logan and also the port.

Uh and not only will it bring it bring better and nicer infrastructure, it will also mitigate um environmental impacts that affect neighboring communities of Barrio Logan.

Um for decades, the community of Barrio Logan has suffered um from systemic disinvestment, uh limited green space and environmental burden uh burdens, I should say, plural.

Um, I know Job has taken uh the lead on this, and I do thank him for it.

Um, every time I ask for an update, uh he's quick to respond on what uh you guys, if I may take three more minutes of my um of my time.

Um this is obviously a priority for the port, and um it took a while, but I I thank you guys for making this one of the lead priorities.

It is um a significant project within uh the port.

So uh thank you for that.

Um Cesav Chavez Park, three acre park on the waterfront in Barrio Logan.

Um, seeing meaning meaningful resources directed into Caesar Chavez Park is a major step in the right direction, and um acknowledgement that our communities deserve the same level of care and opportunity as any other.

Um I also I want to commend port staff who've worked diligently uh to advance this particular project.

Um the community meetings regarding Cesar Chavez Park improvements have been just as astounding.

We give the community a platform to voice their opinion, should they have one regarding um this um this uh park that they have, and um uh once again a real opportunity to share input, raise concerns, and the last part is really have them help us shape the future of that park.

Um I think this is what collaboration should look like.

Um agencies working hand in hand with residents, uh listening first and making investments that reflect the community's priorities.

And um, I know none of that um could have been done without uh your guys' leadership, so it's an honor to um to have you guys uh sit as our port commissioners.

Um you guys are very open, uh candid, and um I think you have the community's best interests at heart.

Um, and I appreciate that.

I appreciate that partnership.

And so um, do we have is there a motion on the floor?

Do we it's informational item?

Okay, wonderful.

Well, happy to have you guys.

When do you guys come back before December, I hope.

When do you want us back?

Council Member.

How often do they present back next week?

Yeah, but we can have them come back and maybe like a day after spring is over.

No, thank you guys.

I appreciate it very much.

Counselor, if I if I may, in terms of coming back, I think your idea about a committee uh hearing with respect to Pond 20 is a is a great idea and an appropriate thing because it is a big deal, it has taken forever.

Nobody's making any excuses, and you heard that list of organizations.

It's a you know, no shade on the Army Corps of Engineers or EPA or coastal, but it is it's quite a process, and Commissioner Moore and I are all in for sure, and it's fair to say that Commissioner Varakara has been particularly all in and and leading the way on this, and so I think uh I think uh I think he will be the spokesperson for the for the committee meeting.

Thank you.

So I see that as a going-away present for Council Member Moreno, right?

Wrap it up by December.

Uh thank you, Councilmember Moreno.

Uh and we'll go next to Councilmember Von Wolberg.

Um, thank you very much uh to our three commissioners for your excellent work and for the presentation today.

You represent the city of San Diego very well, and we're glad that you're doing all that hard work on top of your normal lives and jobs.

And so please know that I know how hard you work, especially since I sit on the airport authority.

I hear all the time about how hard everyone is working.

So I appreciate you very much for your work.

And uh huge kudos to the successes on emissions and sustainability.

I mean, you really are industry leaders in this, and it's been incredible to watch.

And as you know, a San Diegan, we are all beneficiaries of your work in terms of cleaner environment and clean air to breathe.

And so um just in cheaper cheaper energy bills, too, you know.

So it's just really want to thank you for all of that.

Looking forward to all the improvements coming up.

I do have one question about the uh convention center.

And um, I see Job and Scott are here too.

So I'm excited to hear their thoughts on this.

But I know that you know, previously the Port of San Diego and the City of San Diego have worked in great partnership to make sure the convention center is maintained and in the expansions that we we have been working on.

You know, in 1996, the port and the city pointed powers agreement to issue 200 million dollars in in lease revenue bonds to make sure the convention center was taken care of.

And I think we're at a point now where we need to do a similar long-term bond again for the convention center because they are coming to the city every budget year saying there's 400 million dollars in in back maintenance that they have to do just for the basics of the convention center.

And it's one of our big economic revenue generators that we share with the port.

And we've been shown videos of you know, folks who have booked out rooms in the convention center for their convention halls in waters leaking through the roof onto their conventions.

And nobody needs that when we're competing with San Francisco, we're competing with San Jose, other areas, and so now that we have finally secured the funding through Measure C to come to the city of San Diego, the increased TOT tax, we do have an opportunity to leverage that funding and do another series of uh at least back revenue bonds or infrastructure bonds.

But it would be really wonderful to have the ports partnership in that as the city had before, um, because as you might have seen, the city's budget deficit isn't the easiest hill for us to tackle, and so we may need an additional creditor like the port to partner with us on that, but it's to our joint benefit.

And so I'm just you know, I'm I'm gonna plug, you know, rip rip too, I'm gonna say, hey, you guys need to get on this as well.

But I'm just hoping the port would be open to those conversations because the convention center is a gem that we both share.

So let me just agree with everything you said and begin by thanking you and the rest of the council for your commitment to the your recent um uh approval of expenditure of some of that uh measure C money for maintenance and capital improvement at the at the convention center as you note it's absolutely critical and uh an expansion ultimately uh could prove to be important and a good thing, but what has to happen is we have to we have to not have that tired facility get get more tired, and so thank you very much for for for this council's commitment to that.

And in terms of your question about going forward and our interest in engaging with you on that, the answer is of course, and we look forward to doing that.

Okay, thank you very much.

People much smarter than me will be leading those discussions.

I just wanted to put it out there that it's something I think could benefit all of us, um, especially since we finally secured the tax revenue on an ongoing basis.

We might as well leverage that.

Um so but thank you.

I'm really excited to see all the new projects coming up.

The Rady Shell is one of my favorite projects, the city and the port and the whole region has done recently.

Um so uh who's huge kudos to that.

Looking forward to Top Golf and everything else.

So thank you again for your work.

Thank you for representing the city of San Diego so well on our behalfs, and we appreciate you.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, Councilmember Von Wolpert.

We'll go next to Councilmember Whitburn.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh, thank you, Vice Chair Zuquette and Commissioner Varakara, Commissioner Moore.

That was quite an update.

Uh really appreciate you taking the time to come in and brief us on uh all that is new and happening uh and particularly within the city of San Diego.

I think it's worth emphasizing that the Port of San Diego is its own agency, its own jurisdiction.

Uh, but the activities that you highlighted very directly benefit uh city of San Diego residents and people from around the region, but for our purposes, San Diego residents, you are doing a lot of good for the city.

Uh and you look just at some of the things right here downtown.

Freedom Park is going to be a beautiful new park uh right along the Bay downtown.

You've got Seaport San Diego.

You were talking about the environmental study on the way and or underway and uh concluding perhaps by the end of the year.

Uh that is going to be just a wonderful addition and economic driver uh to the city.

Um thank goodness those Navy office buildings are being redeveloped.

That'll be uh good to see uh Log Pacific Highway.

Um you mentioned the maritime clean air strategy, the electrification of the uh uh cruise ship terminal that benefits all of us here.

Uh just the number of cruise ship passengers that are activating downtown.

And um I just very much appreciate what the three of you uh are doing uh and accomplishing as the City of San Diego's representatives to the Port Commission.

Um I want to thank uh the staff leadership that's here as well for all that they're doing.

So uh thank you.

Thank you for all the accomplishments, and thank you, Council President.

All right, thank you, Councilmember Whitburn.

Uh, not seeing anybody else on the lights.

Um I'll join the chorus.

Thank you to commissioners for taking the time.

You know, as council president, I've been reviewing our council policies and how many boards and commissions are supposed to report back to the council on a regular basis.

And uh you all are one of the ones that consistently come back year after year.

And as council member's have the transparency in not only the work that you do every day as commissioners, as along with your regular lives there, is very much appreciated.

And communicating that to the council and I'm sure to the mayor's office of the good work that you're doing to make sure that we're all in sync uh and can manage this incredible resource that uh that we all get to enjoy.

Um the projects you did.

I my wife and I had a chance to stay at the gallery when it was first opened, and we went out and took a walk, and suddenly we saw this incredible uh renovation uh and rebuilding of the environment, uh coastal sage and all that was done to the north there, really pretty spectacular in that commitment.

Uh, and I think that really highlights what the port is all about, the good work you do every day.

Maybe some people will see it, maybe they won't, but it's the right thing to do uh on uh uh on any basis.

So thank you for that.

You have an amazing staff that gets that work done every day and navigates all the challenges uh that the port district uh faces and has navigated us through the economic downturn of COVID and kind of bounced back both for the working waterfront but also for the port tenants and the contribution they make and certainly an important part of the TOT uh that this city relies on.

So thank you for that good work.

Um and I'll highlight uh the electrification component.

Uh and uh yeah, though there's no free lunch, but you don't you don't turn on a dime uh when you make that environmental commitment.

It takes time, it takes money uh to make those conversions.

Um first electric tugboat, um the largest and most capable electric cranes on the west coast.

Uh those are big, big ideas, and that really shows the leadership in the whole blue economy uh and uh trying to really figure out what else can this bay really provide as a resource is rather extraordinary.

So thank you for your commitment and your willingness to continue to lead.

And I will continue to be jealous about how fast you can move uh compared to the city.

Uh and without adding excuses, as Commissioner Zuquette said, uh, having been involved in the formation of mitigation banks.

It's serious business, and every I has to be dotted and TS, every T has to be crossed uh to make sure that those who use the mitigation bank once it's formed uh really uh uphold what the original vision was.

So it takes too much time, but I know you'll get it done.

So thank you for that good work.

Thank you to call for my colleagues, the good work they do.

And again, we'll just close by saying thank you for taking the time to come out this uh this afternoon.

Thank you.

All right.

So we're now we're gonna be talking about items 201 and 202.

For those items, there will be a joint presentation and combined public comment.

A separate vote will be taken for item 202, uh, and no motion will be required for 201, which is just strictly information.

So with that, clerk, please introduce items 201 and 202.

Thank you, Council President.

Item 201 is the dam safety program annual update 2024 to 2025.

This is an informational item.

And item 202 is the award of the as needed dam design services agreements with HDR Engineering Inc., H2426347-M, and Stanton Tech Consulting Services, Inc., H2426348, hyphen M.

Six votes are required pursuant to Charter Section 99.

If you'd like to speak on this item, now's time to turn in your speaker slip or raise your hand, star nine icon.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, City Clerk.

With that, staff, please introduce yourselves for the record and let us know how much time you need for the present combined presentation.

Lisa Zlaya.

Kelly Baylow, Deputy Director.

Tiffany Kirk, Assistant Deputy Director.

And we'll need about 20 minutes.

All right, when you're ready.

Good afternoon, Council President Lacava and City Council members.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the City of San Diego's dam safety program.

Today's presentation will walk through the condition of our dams and water tanks, the programmatic approach we are using in close coordination with our regulator, the Division of Safety of Dams, as well as the significant progress made over the last over the past year to address both immediate safety needs and long-term system resilience.

As you will see, dam safety is not a single project or timeline.

It is a sustained parallel effort to protect public safety today while planning and delivering the long-term investments required to responsibly manage some of the oldest infrastructure in California.

Dams and water tanks are essential infrastructure for city water systems as they store and deliver water to treatment plants, provide emerge emergency reserves during disasters, and manage flood risk.

The city's public utilities department's dam safety program oversees 11 dams and two potable water tanks, which all funder fall all fall under the regulatory jurisdiction of California Department of Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams, typically referred to as DSOD.

The public utilities department coordinates daily with the San Diego Fire Department to ensure our resources are available to assist in their efforts fighting fires.

To the right, you will see some of the different types of water infrastructure the team manages.

Dams are particularly crucial as they act as barriers, creating reservoirs that collect and store large volumes of water.

Alongside dams, water tanks play a vital role in our water supply by providing storage capacity, maintaining water pressure throughout the network, and ensuring that treated drinking water remains readily available for distribution during peak usage usage times or in emergency situations.

Our reservoirs, dams, and water tanks are connected through a network of pipelines, channels, and pump stations, which facilitate the movement of water to drinking water treatment facilities into approximately 1.4 million customers.

The water from our reservoirs, on average, makes up to 10 to 15% of the city's water supply.

And we've been able to increase that to 30% in recent years as a result of receiving more rainfall and maximizing our operations.

As a reminder, water collected in our reservoirs costs roughly $400 per acre foot compared to water purchase from our wholesaler, the San Diego County Water Authority, that cost over $2,600 per acre foot.

With that, I'll turn it over to Kelly.

Thank you, Lisa.

DSOD has mandated water level height restrictions on five reservoirs, which will remain in place until necessary repairs and improvements are completed.

These reservoir restrictions marked a fundamental shift for our dam safety program.

Up until this point, our program was focused primarily on routine operations and maintenance.

In coordination with our regulator, the public utilities department has been working to implement and utilize a forward-looking programmatic dam safety approach.

What this slide depicts is the reality of our work today.

Dam safety is no longer sequential.

It requires a proactive, sustained parallel effort where continuous assessments, inspections, maintenance and repair projects are done, while we simultaneously plan and develop a long-term risk-based capital program that will fundamentally reshape the dam system through rehabilitation, replacement, and removal over the coming decades.

PUD is continuing to implement a nationally recognized dam safety standard, integrating strategic planning with comprehensive program management to address both safety and operational challenges.

This slide shows the components included in the comprehensive dam safety program, which include performing approximately 400 maintenance and inspection activities each year, completing 159 condition assessments to evaluate facility conditions and identify near-term, in-term, and long-term risk reduction measures, designing and construction, constructing approximately 27 repair projects, and we've identified at least three long-term improvements.

We currently estimate that approximately $3 billion will be needed over the coming decades to complete all the improvements.

Building our internal team has been a priority.

We established a dedicated team in 2020 and now have 110 team members across the city focusing on projects that address critical deficiencies, including seismic stability, overtopping, concrete deterioration, and erosion.

In parallel, our last year alone, pardon me, the program oversight team grew from eight to 20 full-time staff with expertise in both engineering and environmental.

Our operations expanded from four to six dedicated crews, and we doubled our equipment resources to be able to deliver more work in house.

In parallel, the program prioritized ongoing dam safety training to build internal knowledge.

But in addition to these internal resources, the dam safety program also requires specialized third party expertise due to the complexity and long-term nature of the projects involved.

All of these resources resourcing efforts combined enable us to meet increasingly complex and evolving dam safety requirements.

Without proper resourcing, PUD would not be in a position to proactively manage risk as opposed to reacting to findings from our regulator.

Understanding the condition of our dams and water tanks is critical to informing risk-based decisions on maintenance repair and long-term investments to protect downstream communities and water supply.

We are making significant progress in completing assessments for our highest risk and poorest condition dams.

To date, we have completed 60 condition assessments, with an additional 13 currently in progress and the remaining assessments planned through the year 2032.

Shown here are pictures of helicopter supported geotechnical drilling and investigations completed last year at Lower Otai and Barrett Dam.

Helicopter access is required due to the steep terrain, limited access, and sensitive environmental resources.

These investigations provide critical information on foundation conditions, help confirm future design assumptions, and support evaluations of whether the dams can meet modern safety standards.

While we continue to advance long-term planning, near-term repairs and maintenance projects are needed.

Over the past year, we've completed numerous repairs to address known deficiencies.

These included clearing the lower portion of the spillway at El Capitan Dam to restore hydraulic capacity, completing vault and valve improvements at Miramar Dam to improve reservoir operability, repairing handrails at Barrett and Lower Otai dams to support crew access for inspections and maintenance.

Looking ahead, 14 repair projects are currently in design to upgrade monitoring systems, repair concrete, improve outlet works, remove vegetation, and strengthen security.

Four additional projects are in planning to address intake restorations and emergency drawdown requirements.

And construction on five projects will begin this upcoming calendar year.

Additionally, our operations team actively manages reservoir levels to stay below DSOD mandated thresholds and has made important system improvements, including faster reporting of field issues, real-time monitoring of raw water reservoirs through the one-rain system, and the first ever use of high-resolution LIDAR at El Capitana Marina Dams to support ongoing monitoring and movement of surface changes.

Program funding comes from the Water Utility Capital Improvement Program and Water Operating Funds, and as future costs are refined, they will be reflected in PUD's annual five-year financial outlook, which informs the city's water rate setting process.

We continue to proactively pursue state and federal funding opportunities to help reduce costs for ratepayers.

To date, 1.7 million dollars in state and federal funding has been secured for ongoing initiatives, including seismic stability analysis and geotechnical investigations at El Capitan, Barrett, and Hodges Dams, as shown on the pictures to the right.

In total, the city has applied for approximately $322 million in external funding, including $7 million in grant funding and selection by the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers to submit a full application for $241 million in low-cost loan financing for dam improvement projects through the year 2031.

This slide shows PUD's strategic phasing plan to address dam safety across all 13 DSOD regulated facilities based on available financing.

At the top of the timeline, each facility is shown with its DSOD condition rating in the year we plan to complete long-term improvement plans.

Dams in fair, poor or unsatisfactory condition are addressed first, followed by facilities in satisfactory condition in later years.

In addition to facility condition, the timing of the long-term improvement planning considers factors such as downstream risk, required water level restrictions, the role of each reservoir in the water supply system, and coordination with the city's pure water program.

At the bottom of this timeline are the program level efforts that guide system wide decisions.

This work begins with updating the water model to identify the most critical reservoirs for long-term water supply, supporting PUD's goal of increasing local water use to 60% by the year 2040.

In 2028, we plan to complete a program plan to help manage risk, and in 2032, we will have the data and plans in place to develop a strategic capital improvement phasing plan that sequences work across the system for decades to come.

This information, together with condition assessments and long-term improvement plans, will give us a comprehensive and holistic understanding of which reservoirs are most critical, where long-term infrastructure investments provide the greatest value, allowing us to strategically strategically phase dam safety improvements over time.

This planning is happening alongside active projects with repairs moving forward to keep our dams safe and operational while long-term strategic planning efforts are underway.

So we know we cannot replace or upgrade all of our high-risk dams at the same time.

These projects are large, complex, taking many years to plan, fund, design, and build.

Because of this, we're using a phased risk-based approach.

Long-term improvements are prioritized and sequenced over time, while interim repairs are done to manage safety until permanent solutions are delivered.

City Council's prior approval of our as needed program management agreement allows us to assess dam conditions, set priorities, and plan this work in phases as shown on the left side of the slide.

However, that agreement supports planning and assessments only.

It does not include the design or construction oversight services needed to implement repair projects.

The next step is securing new as needed dam design service agreements, so priority dam safety projects can move forward from planning into design and construction, helping to avoid emergency-driven actions and to ensure steady, responsible progress.

Without these design service contracts, we would be unable to move forward immediately with critical dam safety repair projects.

Shown on this slide are some examples of upcoming dam safety projects at Murray, Sutherland, and Lower Otai dams that require design work before the projects can move forward.

While long-term improvements are being implemented, a process that can take decades, interim projects are needed to manage risks and maintain regulatory compliance.

Examples of projects include seismic upgrades to Murray outlet tower and dam structure, intake and outlet improvements at Sutherland Reservoir, concrete repairs at Lower OTI to main structural to maintain structural integrity and safe access.

All of these projects, these projects range from smaller but critical repairs, around $18 million to major rehabilitation projects costing upwards of $40 to $80 million.

From initial studies through design, environmental review permitting and construction, individual dam safety projects can take seven to ten years or more to deliver.

That brings us to the action item for your consideration today.

PUD is proposing two 10-year as needed dam design services contracts, each in an amount not to exceed $75 million.

It's important to note this work was included in the water rates council approved last year, is in PUD's budget, as well as our five-year outlook.

Council will hear an annual dam safety update and have an opportunity during each budget and five-year outlook process, as well as any future rate case to receive additional information on this program and its associated spending.

Highly skilled experts in dam design and engineering, environmental compliance and construction support will complement the strong internal team we have built.

The proposed contract duration and amount are based on detailed engineering estimates and historical data, aligning with the extensive time frame needed for specialized dam repair and rehabilitation projects.

Long-term, as needed design agreements, ensure continuity of expertise, regulatory coordination, and timely delivery of required critical dam safety work.

The RFP selection process began in 2024.

Two firms, HDR and Stantec, were selected as the preferred providers following a qualifications-based selection.

Both firms would work on a rotating basis, task order basis, ensuring fairness and consistent access to dam design expertise.

Listed on this slide are the services the agreements will provide, including dam engineering analysis, design development, permit and regulatory coordination, environmental planning, and construction phase engineering support.

The consultants will support the steady delivery of maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation projects for spillways, outlets, and dam structures.

PUD is requesting your approval of two 10-year as needed dam design services agreements with HDR and Stantec, each in an amount not to exceed $75 million.

Funded through the water utility CIP and operating fund and included within both the recently approved water rates and PEDR's five-year outlook.

Each agreement would carry a minimum spend of a thousand dollars.

These agreements are essential for delivering critical dam safety projects, ensuring that our dams and water tanks remain safe, reliable, and compliant with DSOD requirements while continuing to meet community needs for decades to come.

Importantly, these are as needed agreements.

There is no obligation to use the full contract amount.

The work is authorized only through individual task orders.

Even if the full value were utilized over the 10-year term, it would equate to approximately $7.5 million per year each contract.

This provides us long-term flexibility rather than a single upfront commitment.

Your support for these for the ordinances requested today for approval of the two as needed dam design services agreements will help us continue to safeguard our water infrastructure, protect the public, meet our regulatory requirements, and enhance the resilience and sustainability of our water system.

We thank you for your consideration, and we are here to answer any questions you may have.

All right, thank you very much for the presentation.

And with that, Clerk, please proceed with public comment.

Thank you, Council President.

We have several speakers here and online.

Rhonda Ferrar, if you can please come forward.

You'll have time seated to you by Mary Ellen Leahy, if you can please raise your hand.

Thank you so much.

And if I can have the following individuals, please come forward to the yellow reserve seats.

Monique Glacier, uh Steve Leisure, and Robert Dudley.

If you can all please come up to the yellow reserve seats.

You will have two minutes for item 201.

Please proceed when ready.

Good afternoon, honorable council president, council members, and city staff.

My name is Rhonda Ferrar, and I'm president of the Friends of Lake Hodges, whose mission it is to support local government efforts to improve Lake Hodges Dam safety and capacity, water quality, wildlife habitat, and public access for the benefit of our community.

For over a hundred years, Lake Hodges has been a crown jewel in North County, a vital drinking water reservoir, a critical habitat for wildlife, and a recreational haven for hikers, birders, fishermen, and paddlers.

But the dam that makes this lake possible is currently unsafe and in danger of failing.

Council members, this is not a future problem.

This is a current crisis.

The existing ZAM is 108 years old and deemed unsatisfactory by the DSOD.

It is the worst, it's in the worst shape of all the dams in California, which is why the state has mandated construction begin by 2029.

While we applaud the city's plan to evaluate all the dams in San Diego, it is most concerning that the current study of the Lake Hodges alternatives is now expected to be delayed until the end of the year.

Lake Hodges has the largest watershed in San Diego.

One inch of rain can raise the lake, an entire lake a foot.

There's too much building downstream in Rancho Santa Fe and the other communities there for there not to be a dam for flood control.

We need a new dam.

If the dam fails tomorrow, downstream communities would be flooded.

Lake Hodge would become a stagnant pool of wildlife that and the wildlife that inhabit the lake would die.

We would lose the ability to provide water to the Rancho Santa Fe and San Dieguido water districts.

The San Dieguido Lagoon, which taxpayers have spent millions of dollars restoring, would dry up, decimating the wetlands and endangered bird populations that depend on it.

And the 208 million dollar pump storage facility, our region's largest battery for clean energy would be rendered useless.

We would lose the ability to move water where it's needed during a drought.

A new dam needs to be designed, funded, and built as soon as possible.

Is the best source of drinking water for downstream water districts and the lowest cost water available to the region?

Although the water authority does not care for that leave.

I thought it was four minutes.

You have two minutes.

You had one person's C2 time.

You only submitted for item 201.

Did you want to speak to item 202 as well?

Can I finish my comments?

Please continue.

I just have another minute.

Um a new dam needs to be designed, funded, and built as soon as possible.

Is the best source of drinking water for downstream water districts and the lowest cost of water available to the region.

Although the water authority does not currently believe it needs the water in Lake Hodges for the regions, that is likely to change over the 100-year life life expectancy of a new dam.

The new dam needs to be at least of sufficient height to allow the transfer of water to the rest of the region's water supply and for the billions of gallons of water, of precious rainwater, to not be released to the ocean at for the next hundred years.

The Friends of Lake Hodges represents thousands of residents who use this lake.

We're asking you to prioritize the safety and reliability for our region.

We're asking you to direct staff to expedite the design building and construction process to meet the state's 2029 deadline for its construction.

We ask you to collaborate with the city, county, and federal governments to secure funding for this project.

Every month we make wait, construction costs rise, and the risk of catastrophic failure increases.

We are gambling with a critical piece of our instrument infrastructure.

Should this dam fail, the cost of building a new dam would increase exponentially, then the cost of replacing the dam now with existing dam in place.

Let's get this done.

Thank you.

Thank you, Nexus Monique.

You're speaking on item 202.

You'll have one minute, please proceed.

My name is Monique Lesher, and I'm representing Ray's Lake Hodges and 80,000 San Diegans and an entire wetlands ecosystem.

As someone who's worked for environmental organizations for most of my life, I'm happy to see your devotion to the environment.

But Lake Hodges is an environmental tragedy waiting to happen.

We support a new dam, but the city budget clearly does not support a $300 million repla replacement anytime soon.

So in the meantime, Lake Hodges remains at 280 feet, that's roughly 16% capacity, and the San Dieguido River Valley is paying the price.

The lake's not just a reservoir, it's a wildlife corridor, it's a wetland ecosystem, and it is a fire buffer.

There has been no environmental impact upstream of the dam, and the lake bed is drying out, the grebs there used to be high wow.

That was fast.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

The timer is there in the corner so you can uh monitor your time, Steve Leisher.

You're speaking on item 202.

Hello, my name is Steve Lash.

I'm also part of the Hodges gang here.

I just wanted to talk a little bit about the unintended cost, you know, the cascade of cost that's involved in this.

So what happens is our property taxes are elevated because the amount of their our home values actually continue to decrease.

A great example that would be the Pacific Palisades.

The tragedies happen there.

More than 90% of the people have yet to receive any insurance from the California fire plan.

Less than 10% have received anything.

Those that have only received an average of 10% of what they filed for.

We're next in line for that to happen.

So the cost of property taxes are inadvertent.

We're pretty high.

Property taxes, California Fair Plan says no, our properties are worth less.

In addition, um water costs are higher.

Selling our properties will be harder.

Who wants to buy property we can't get insurance for?

So anyway, there's a lot of cascade effects that go on.

Thank you for that concluding comment.

Robert Good afternoon.

I'm Robert Dudley, and I uh the city of San Diego is my closest neighbor.

I also am on the CAC council, which I appreciate the patience and contribution of Council President Lacaba and Mar and Councilmember Wilbur.

Um I brought this up probably two years ago, and in that time we have lost, we've lost opportunity.

Um the big difference is what happened in in LA.

The fires of LA have changed everything.

Um last week the mayor directed the PUD to flush more precious water, local water downstream to the ocean while the city has done nothing to address dam can uh uh conditions for years.

So I stand in favor of the action now before us repair and replacement of the dam, restoring the city's commitment to the emergency uh storage project.

Uh empirically, there has been um may I be extended an additional two minutes for 201.

It would be an additional minute for 201.

Thank you.

Uh let's see.

So there's been no major dam collapse in California since 1928.

At the same time, we've seen increases in the in the risk of fire throughout California.

Um this body must recognize that urban wildfire represents the greatest existential threat to the citizens of San Diego.

The Palisades and Altadino fires of 2025 and the campfire of twenty twenty eighteen collectively resulted in a hundred and sixteen.

Um displaced citizens and more than thirty-four thousand structures destroyed with a loss of sixty-nine billion dollars.

What have we learned?

In the interim, the incident captains reported that each that each situation, the fires uh were behaving like they've never seen before.

Fires are different than they were in your past years.

So we really need to address this, and I would support what Rhonda said that we really need to look at replacement of this dam, and in the meantime, has considered fire.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh, sorry, the five-minute timer going to those come that does conclude public comment hearing council chambers.

I've started the five-minute timer going to those participating remotely.

We currently have four speakers in the queue.

Please be sure to let me know which item or items you wish to speak to when I unmute you, John Stump.

If you can please unmute.

Thank you.

I I'm speaking to both items.

You'll have two minutes, one minute each.

Please proceed.

Uh thank you.

I support this item.

Um I'm particularly concerned about the dam called Troyas.

Uh the dam called Troyas is the city park Choyas Lake.

This dam is more than 110 years old, of a unique type, no longer built, and if it failed, it would uh flood to the San Diego Bay, endanger some 5,000 homes, and 10,000 sleeping residents.

Uh, you have engineers on your council, they could look at the structure of this dam.

It's very strange.

Um what I ask is that the council um look into opportunities to fill Troyas Lake instead of with potable water, which it's doing now.

Um, but with either using pure water or storm water.

Finally, if you look at the staff report, nowhere in the staff report do they talk about the stakeholders as being parks on recreation and the recreation councils and the community councils.

We need the staff reports in the future and this contract to consult with parks and recreation concerning Troyas Lake Dam.

Thank you very much.

Keep us safe.

Thank you.

Next is phone number ending in 8700.

If you can sorry, if you can please unmute 8700.

My apologies 8700.

I have sent you to unmute.

If you can press star six to unmute.

Hello.

Yes, hello.

Are you speaking on?

Can you hear me?

Yes, I can hear you.

Okay, well, I I did the star six both times perfectly, so I don't know what happened.

Um City Clerk, I will be doing both items.

Thank you.

Please proceed.

Um PUD and uh you know, everyone involved in this.

You have my full support.

This is a mess.

But put that behind us.

We've got what we've got now.

You have my full support.

Uh the Colorado River aqueduct is 242 miles long.

It provides 50 to 60 percent of our water.

Local dams, such as Lake Hodges.

Thank you, speakers for speaking up for Lake Hodges.

Love you.

Um, Lake Hodges and the other dams act as critical storage for this imported water, blending it with local runoff to supply the city with the water we need.

Dam safety equals ongoing maintenance.

Deferred maintenance is not safe, it creates high risk.

As I said, this whole thing, the whole water supply system, it's a mess.

But let's let's look for the opportunities and let's go there and do it.

Whatever we need to do now, you have my full support, and and I just love all of you.

This is really tough work.

Okay, on 202.

Uh, quite a lot of the under-representation is there in both HDR and Stantech.

Both countries, both companies do report progress in reducing the underrepresentation.

So I was glad to see that statement, but really, really not happy with seeing how much is under representation represented.

So I was confused by the TBD, the two be decided.

They were all over the EOC report.

And uh I've been never seen that before ever.

So I don't know what that's all about.

But in any case, water, water, water.

Your time has concluded.

My apologies.

Hector, if you can please unmute.

That also concludes the five-minute timer.

We have two additional speakers.

No other speakers will be taken.

Hector.

Please let me know which items you wish to speak to.

I'd like to speak to both of them.

Thanks for taking my call.

This is Hector.

Well, man, when you listen when you listen to this, when I listen to this, you guys are way over your head on this, man.

You're so far.

You guys can't even figure out a parking meter, and the roof leaks at the convention center for months.

You can't hire a couple of roofers.

You guys are way over your head.

I think the Lake Hodges lady should contract a private investor to build a dam for profit.

Give them the water rights and give them the electric generator at the bottom.

They could generate electricity.

Negotiate the rights for the water, let him own the dam, and he could build a dam like 20 feet higher than it is, state of the art, like a 50 yards, 100 yards below the other dam.

Have water rights up 20 feet above the existing dam and leave it, and everyone would be cool.

It's just a matter of negotiating.

Talk to the Vectel or something, big company, big time guys can build a dam.

They design it, they build it, they own it, and we'll let them and we'll let them charge for water, you know, it's a discount rate on the water and power that it generates over time.

Over a hundred years.

There could be some guys that'll do it.

Big time dudes that know how to build dams instead of having the uh and the other guys don't even talk about Lake Hodges.

Look at the other dams.

There's so many other dams you can look at.

Because if you study Lake Hodges, you know it's gotta go.

And we gotta get some make it profitable for somebody just build it.

And you know, they build it huge, it'd be a great investment.

And the city won't need to touch it.

City's just wasting their money looking at it.

They don't got the money.

They don't even have the money.

It's it's it's not even there.

Thanks a lot.

Our next speaker is Blair Beekman.

If you can please unmute.

All right, that's my friend.

Um I hope you can hear me.

My zoom's gonna be really bad today.

I'm on uh an airplane.

Headed back to San Diego from Valley.

Um quickly offer uh speaking on both items.

Yes, yes.

Please continue.

Okay, okay.

I have to hang up now.

Uh Lake, yes, uh quickly offer a lot of good books San Diego's done after flooded use around dam issues.

Keep up the good work.

Uh have these items a lot on city council meetings.

Thank you.

Our final speaker is Kathleen Lippett.

Thank you for letting me speak.

California is a I'd like to speak to both items.

101 and 102.

Can you hear me?

Please proceed.

California is a desert, and water is a necessary and limited resource of the highest priority.

Instead, the public has washed us dam conditions have eroded, not just Lake Hodges.

The city was warned four years ago that Lake Hodges was deemed in need of critical repair.

But once again, city postponed and redirected funds reserved for addressing dam maintenance and repair to numerous other projects, none of which are as critical as potable water for the public.

The costs of deferred spending for critical resource on water went has gone then from $400 per acre foot to 2,600 for imported water.

It's inexcusable that the city failed to recognize that a dam over a hundred years old should have been monitored regularly for necessary repairs.

A full replacement of the dam is currently being planned for repair, but it won't be done until 2034.

We wasted 11 billion dollars worth of water that had to be flushed out to the ocean because Lake Hodges couldn't accommodate the increased water levels to preserve human life and property and comply with state regulators in a 2019 order.

Please stop postponing the projects that you have money set aside to monitor and stop putting it towards special interest projects.

Thank you for letting me speak.

Thank you.

That concludes public comment on these items.

All right, thank you, City Clerk.

Uh, we'll turn it over to my colleagues for questions and comments.

Again, 201 is a information item, no actions required.

202 does require a motion.

And we'll start with the chair of the Act of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Council Member Wetburn.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh, a couple of questions uh since we did discuss this at Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, but I think the points uh are important to capture uh here at the council meeting as well.

The design services that are covered by these proposed contracts uh between the city and HDR and Stantec, those will be provided uh on an as needed basis, and uh in other words, the city will only pay for the design services that it requests and receives, correct?

That is correct, sir.

Uh we've been hearing a lot of discussion around the future of Lake Hodges Dam.

Um the state has uh uh ordered that the city uh conduct some measures uh to reduce the risk of a dam failure.

Uh and those measures are not going to be cheap.

Uh so I want to ask for the record, uh, given the questions about Lake Hodges Dam, does the city have a choice about whether or not to perform the state mandated risk reduction measures at Lake Hodges Dam?

No, we're required to do those risk reduction measures, and that is what these dam services contracts will help us design for.

And if we don't, what's the consequence of saying that no, we're not going to do that?

Our regulator has different options at their play.

I mean, you can they've been wanting this.

This is the only unsatisfactory dam in their entire portfolio.

They can go all the way up to and including telling us to empty the entire reservoir.

And emptying the entire reservoir could result in some of the very fire risks that we're hearing nearby residents express concerns about fire risk.

Sorry.

Um it has so I think we want to separate the entire issue in regards to fire risk in regards to the level of the reservoir.

As it is right now, we have the capability to pull from the reservoirs.

And I can have Chief Deputy Chief Brainerd, he is here from the fire safety fire department, and he can help add any information onto that.

I do not believe that anything about the level of the dam impacts or re increases that fire risk.

But we can ask that question too.

Would you like me to have them come up?

Well, yes, I think that's relevant if a consequence of not performing the state mandated actions were to be that the city had to empty uh Lake Hodges.

Would that create an additional fire risk?

Good afternoon.

Uh Brent Brenner, I'm here for Assistant Chief Eddie.

Um at San Diego Fire Rescue, we take all matters of fire safety seriously.

And we from the all the way from the border all the way up to Lake Hodges, anywhere where there's any type of wildfire risk, we take very seriously.

So I guess the question is in regards to specifically, if the dam was eliminated, that removes one source of water in regards to pulling from.

Is that correct?

Our helicopters, as far as so any of the dams or anything we pull, we could pull from up to two feet of water.

I just confirmed with my helicopter crew chief that's on duty today, our crews can pull from everything from ponds to anything, and they need as little as two feet of water.

Okay, so that's I I understand how you're hearing the question, but let me restate the question in in a different way.

We're talking about approving these contracts.

And I'm asking about the consequence of not approving them.

And you're saying that what are the consequences of not approving the contracts, could be that and and not conducting the state mandated actions on Lake Hodges Dam, could be that the state could order Lake Hodges to be drained.

And my question is if we were to drain Lake Hodges and leave that landscape, is that not fire fuel, that would be dangerous.

Maybe it's not, but that's my question.

I if anywhere where there's a urban interface or any type of wildfire brush or anything like that, we will go we're gonna treat exactly the same, and we'll aggressively attack with all of our partner agencies throughout uh San Diego County, we'll have a joint unified response.

But I think in regards to your comment in regards to if we're trying to address as it relates to fire safety, obviously also dams are also used as fire breaks too.

Um and so if there's no water in there, that is going to have a problem in regards to fire.

As it is right now, whether or not it's 280 versus 295, those are different conversations.

But if you have nothing there, there's no dead pool, there's nothing there, that's going to have impacts in regards to fire safety.

Yes.

It is, but that is why these dam services contracts are so important because if we're trying to at least maintain what we have right now, then we want to do these contracts.

Okay.

Thank you.

That concludes my questions.

All right, thank you, Councilmember Whitburn.

We'll go next to Councilmember Campbell.

I I uh thank you very much for the presentation.

I think it's very important that we approve this, especially as it's mandated by the state.

I wish that the state would pay for whatever it mandates, but it doesn't.

And uh so I will move the staff's recommendation.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, Councilmember Campbell.

So we do have a motion uh to move the staff recommendation.

We'll go next to Councilmember Von Wilbur.

Uh thank you.

Um thank you for the presentation today on our dams program, and thank you for answering all the questions.

I also want to thank Rhonda and friend Lake Hodges and everybody for being here.

Thank you for coming down today and for being engaged with the whole process.

Um, my incredible policy advisor AJ Baker has been wonderful in making sure that the community is involved in this discussion because as you said, when the lake water diminishes, that leads to an explosion in a in a uh growth of brush.

You know, when I was a kid and you drove on the 15 freeway up to the North County Fair, that's what I still call it, you could see water on both sides of the 15 freeway.

And that's what we grew up with and we were used to with Lake Hodges.

I understand this dam was built before women had the right to vote in this country.

I do understand how old this dam is.

At the same time, we are now aware that this is the most failing dam in the state of California, and so we have to do something about this.

Uh my first question is where is the county water authority?

Are they paying for any of this 75 million over 10 years?

Are they going to be contributing to the repair of Lake Hodges?

Because this is half their asset.

So two different things.

So if we're looking at any project that is for um maintenance activities, it is our belief at Lake Hodges.

So remember the $75 million for each of these contracts is for all of our entire dam portfolio.

If it is associated with Hodges, they do have a cost share measure.

They are responsible for 50% of the cost.

They have, as a reminder, though, they have told us if it's the full replacement, they do not believe that they have required to pay for that.

And that is different than our understanding.

Okay, well, in term we'll get to the replacement in a second, but in terms of this item today to approve, you know, our ratepayers will be paying for this.

Our rate payers plus so in this specifically for this 75 million for these two contracts.

If the work is for lake hodges, like we're talking about the risk reduction risk reduction reduction measures, they would be paying their 50% of that, yes.

Okay, and the county water authority has agreed to do this, or are they protesting this or it is not an understanding that they would be protesting that they would only be protesting the full replacement is our understanding?

Okay, I'll get to the full replacement in a second, but in terms of the current state of the dam right now, the city has been doing repairs on Lake Hodges because we've been ordered to.

So has the county water authority paid their fair share of those repairs?

Yes.

And how much have they paid?

I would have to get back to you in regards to that one.

I'd have to get back to you.

But they have been paying their 50% of all of ours.

Okay.

Um I would love to know how much they have been contributing going forward.

So if they're paying half of the bill and we are currently being ordered to do mandated repairs by the State Department of Dam Safety, why is it taking so long?

We were supposed to get back the options from the geotechnical scientists this summer, and now it's pushed back to December of 2026.

Is that correct?

Yes, we are expecting it by December of 2026, yes.

But we were expecting it this summer.

Yeah.

Oh, Kelly, if you want to add anything in regards to Kelly or Tiffany, if you want to add anything in regards to the timeline.

Yes.

Thank you.

So there's a number of technical analyses that we must complete to come to a recommendation for an alternative to full dam replacement for Hodges.

And those technical analyses uh take some time.

So we do expect that we're gonna need um more time.

So the end of the year is when we expect to have a recommendation on what we're doing with Hodges in the long term.

Okay, have we hired an outside contractor to do this recommendation for us?

Yes, we currently have GEI doing the alternatives analysis for us.

Oh, so then I'd like an explanation from them also why this is taking so long.

Are they not working on it?

Do they have other projects?

I mean, this is the highest rated failure safety dam in the state of California.

And they have been working on it in regards to so some of the issues is that so every time that we have to do anything in regards to um Hodges, we want to make sure we're doing our entirely due diligence.

The status one of the assessments they do is on the concrete itself.

Can it withstand whatever recommendations that we're doing?

So then there's different modeling on that.

I think the expectation was is that we went with a shorter timeline because we were trying to push through, and then each thing we're trying to identify does take us a little bit longer, and we want to make sure we've done all of our due diligence so that way when we get into design and construction, we don't identify things that push that timeline around.

Okay, got it.

I have a request for next time we hear a dams update at ATI or anything.

Can we bring an engineer as well?

We're paying them, they should be here answering our questions about what's going on with the dam.

Um I was also asking a lot of questions about uh how we're communicating with our residents at the committee because the fire increased fire risk is real.

Um Chief Eddie, who I know can't be here today, actually lives in the community, and we received over a million dollar grant from the state of California from assembly member Darshna Patel's office because the increased fire threat because of the brush growth when the water went down has exponentially increased fire concern in a community.

They already lost their homes.

I mean, this is not a theoretical concern.

This was where the Widge Creek fire went through.

And so you're hearing from people who've watched their homes burn before.

And so my question is if if the Department of Dam Safety is not going to allow us to raise the water level, which would then flood some of the brush.

What is our plan going to be going forward?

I know we have the million dollar grant this year to do extensive rush management and get some of the unnated plants out of the area, but what about next year or the year after?

And so um, you know, Deputy Chief, I know this is you just had to fill in today since Chief Eddie is not available.

But my question for the fire department is going forward, can we have more involved conversations with the community about what to do about this increased brush management issues?

Yes, we could do that.

I'll um I can um get in touch with Chief Tosca to talk about the brush management area and we can get back to you.

Okay, thank you.

And I know that um you know we're currently waiting on our second wildfire helicopter to get a new part in, which takes an abominably long amount of time.

Um but are are we able to get a you know the the fire hawk up there, Copter three if we need to delay codges at this point?

Oh, yes.

Copter three is in service, COP three is in service today.

Okay, got it.

Uh and then we Calfire is able to bring fixed wing in on a more regular basis.

I mean, we are much more prepared than we were in 2007, correct?

Absolutely.

Our um interagency.

Take three more minutes, please.

Our coordination between Calfire, all of our partners between Escondido Ranch of Santa Fe and all the surrounding jurisdictions, it has never been better right now.

Um Calfire, if I were to, as the incident commander or call for a fixed wing air package, we could bring it in.

I could keep bringing in as many researches as necessary to mitigate any incident as possible that we face.

Okay.

And Calfire, their planes can dip in Lake Hodges too, correct?

I'm not, I don't have it.

I'm I'm not aware of any capabilities with that.

Got it.

I could find out for you and we can get back to you.

Okay, thank you.

I think we just we need to have a better conversation with the community members about this because it is alarming to see the exponential growth in brush, which is a result of the lake lowering.

So thank you.

And thank you for filling in for Chief Eddie.

Um I appreciate you being here today.

I I so I have one more question about communication with our office and our residents.

You know, I've been asking for the city and the Department of Dam Safety to have a meaningful conversation about whether we can raise the water level because we now know that we're not going to be able to replace this dam as quickly as we wanted to, because the county water authority has unilaterally decided they do not have to share the cost anymore.

One, I hope we're getting a legal opinion on that.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

I'm we we should be getting legal opinion on that.

Second, you know, our constituents have been rightly asking what we're going to do about this in the mean term.

And so I wrote a letter last July to the secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, Secretary Crawford, asking for DSOD to work with Calfire to determine if the risk of the dam breaking is greater at this point to life and safety of the risk of a wildfire resulting because of the lower water levels.

And nobody has answered my question.

I have asked our state assembly members, our state senators.

And then this morning we received an email that my office was not included on from a gentleman who is the public affairs California Department of Water Resources Public Affairs Office, Jason Insey, in which he has been explaining to constituents that this dam is so dangerous that not only are we required to lower the water level at because of a seismic event because of an earthquake, but in 2023 it was discovered that the concrete deterioration has progressed to such a state that the Department of Dam Safety has determined the dam to be an unacceptable condition that could lead to failure under normal or static conditions, meaning right now the dam could fail.

And Councilmember Campio's office was CC'd on this email, but my office was not.

And so I'm just asking, I have been begging this department to give communication to me and my residents who come all the way down here.

And why can I not simply be CC'd on an email?

I just we're very frustrated.

Uh Wangro, Public Utilities Director, um, Councilmember Von Wilbert, I just want to apologize to you for not including you on those conversations earlier.

It was a request from D7, and we're being responsive and meeting with that constituent.

Um they followed up a few times and then DWR got back to them about two weeks ago, and we just got that to you today.

So I think it's a helpful reminder that if there are um inquiries that come from other council districts that we include the council district where the the uh the concern is located, in this case Hodges will make sure to keep you updated on any communications related to Hodges moving forward.

Apologies.

Uh thank you.

Um I I appreciate that commitment.

I'm also wondering when we're going to have a newly updated Hodges and Reservoir Dam physically frequently asked questions.

Given this new information, the Department of Dam Safety thinks this dam is so unsafe that at any moment it could experience a structural collapse that we can't raise the water level.

If that is the case, and he put it in writing here, when are we going to update it on our own website?

I'll have Ali Brenter, Deputy Director of External Affairs answer that.

Yeah, thank you, Councilmember.

That FAQ is in the process of being completely updated, and we'll ensure that update is finalized with DSOD's perspective as well, and it should be uploaded to our website within the near future.

Will you let us know when that's done, please?

Of course.

Okay.

Um, and I would just I want to thank the residents who have been consistently arguing this point and can articulate this point because you were able to get answers uh quicker than sometimes we get to, unfortunately, here at the city.

So I appreciate the commitment to getting more better communication with our office.

My last question is I agree with Rhonda's um recommendation that since this is the worst dam in the whole state of California, why are we not putting all the pressure on this dam?

You know, if we're gonna approve this 150 million dollars for all the dams in San Diego, Lake Hodges needs the most attention, so why can't we focus on this one first?

So I'll go back in regards to that.

The most important thing is making sure because we've lost 50 percent of the person who's gonna fund it.

We got estimates, we were originally looking at 275 million dollars to replace this dam.

The estimates now are between 500 and 700 million dollars, and that would mean the city would be responsible.

We lost 50 percent of our funding for that.

So that increases the liability and the cost to actually do the work on the city of San Diego residents.

And so we're trying to right now identify all options available to us in regards to what is the best use of all rate payer funds, because we do not have unlimited funds.

Our existing rate um right now, we don't even have the rates to do that replacement right now.

So that would also require future increased um rates.

And so we want to make sure and come back and make sure we've identified that option that gets us addresses the concerns in regards to the safety of that dam, but also looks at the affordability complex that we're looking at, and that's why we chose to do that risk um alternatives analysis and coming back with also interim risk reduction measures.

Okay, which I appreciate.

My question, I guess, still is are we gonna direct most of these resources immediately to Lake Hodges?

Hodges is the number one priority, yes.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Well, thank you for answering the questions.

Um thank you for the commitment to communicate better with us going forward.

Um, you know, we work well with our state partners, that's how we got the million dollars with assembly member Tel is because when the constituents come to us, we can ask, but if we don't get this information, I can't act on it.

Um given the commitments that you will work with our communities better and get us more answers, and we will be focusing the efforts immediately on Lake Hodges.

If we approve this today, um I will approve the I'll I will vote to approve the item, um, but we will be continue to follow up to make sure that these commitments are actually followed through so the community can feel safer and that we all can be more aware of what we're gonna do with this very precious resource that we've all counted on for a long time.

So thank you very much.

Uh thank you, Councilmember Von Wolpert.

I think you said you would vote to approve it.

You didn't actually second it though.

I will leave that to you.

Okay.

I'll jump in there and second it and before I go to Councilmember Foster, offer a few thoughts because I want to clarify some of the things that we've been talking about.

Uh one, uh thank you for coming down and taking the time to testify.

Uh there isn't anything more scary than the possibility of uh changes that um could potentially threaten your homes.

You know, I I'm old enough to remember when living next to open space and wildlands actually was an asset.

Uh uh given as many people describe the changes in our environment and the risk of wild fire has certainly turned people's attention in a different direction.

Um my district, district one uh used to enjoy the quality of life by being um separated by major pieces of open space, and what do they face today?

Uh difficulty getting insurance.

Uh the state introducing zone zero, which is gonna require everybody, almost everybody in the city to actually clear everything within five feet uh circumstances of different change, and sadly it takes dramatic incidents to actually force us to change.

Um I do want to emphasize the world changed with the Oroville Dam uh and change division of dam safety and how they looked at things for better or for worse.

Uh so I appreciate the pivot as uh Councilmember Von Wolpert and the public mentioned I am a civil engineer, so I paid a little bit extra attention.

And I want to remind that we did do upwards ten million dollars worth of repairs at Lake Hodges.

Pretty extraordinary innovative approaches to try to stabilize the dam.

Um and I can remember we actually began the pace to actually start thinking about a new dam there.

Um I don't know how far we got, uh, but we certainly got slammed when the county water authorities said, yeah, we don't care about the hydroelectric capacity there, we don't care about the water storage there, we're not interested in being your 50 percent partner, uh, and that change the landscape.

Um I want to re-emphasize a question I think Councilmember Von Wolbert raised, uh, but there's nothing in the action today that actually precludes what we might do at Lake Hodges.

Is that correct?

Correct.

Okay, so I I wanted to make sure that we weren't um doing anything in that regard.

Um and I also don't want to forget about the larger picture that we're talking about that we first heard at Environment Committee, where the city, again, given the 2021 action, actually took a look at the entirety of our system of water storage, uh, which is our water storage.

It doesn't belong to the county water authority, it's ours.

Uh, and it does typically we talk about it as 10 percent of our water supply.

Maybe even the rainy months that actually is upwards, you said 30 percent.

Uh and more importantly, it costs the 400 dollars an acre foot as opposed to 2600.

And anybody who thinks about privatizing the most expensive water in San Diego County is a private desalinization plant.

So I'm not interested in going in in that direction.

Uh, but everything that we need to do to make sure that that local water uh continues to function uh in a very efficient manner and keeps uh helps keep the rates down.

So I appreciate that even though this is a ten-year contract that you're asking, that you will come back to us yearly and let us know the progress, clearly after GEI completes its assessment of Lake Hodges and the options, uh coming back to ATI or environment committee, whatever makes sense best.

Um I do feel inclined because I've heard it more than once about Choyas Lake.

It's not part of our water storage, not part of our system there.

It is a dam.

Uh all dams always have that risk of breaking.

How do we?

It's not PUDs, I assume, it's park and rec.

Yes, that is correct, but we are in coordination because we do kind of have the expertise in regards to doing the condition assessments.

We are coordinating with Park and Rec to give them the information.

It is a satisfactory dam at this point in time, which is within DSODs, that's their highest rating.

Um, so but we do have it identified and preparing the information that is needed so that way any future actions can be done, um, but that would be at the expense of from the general fund.

Okay.

Um, I don't want to put any undue pressure in one of our colleagues, but we do have 10 members of the county water authority board of directors there.

Um I think it's a pretty big lift to convince the other directors uh to pony up that kind of dollars where they may not see the benefit to the county water authorities entire vision of and area of responsibility.

Um so I don't really hope hold much hope there, no matter what the city 10 are able to do uh at the board level uh going forward.

But um again, you know, I also don't want to lose the incredible pivot that PUD went through in the past five years going forward.

Um you responded to when uh Division of Dam Safety said new rules are in place.

You jumped on every requirement, and then when County Water Authority said again, slammed the door on us that you pivoted again.

Uh and that's an extraordinary amount of work of something that is not part of our day-to-day work.

So uh it's very much appreciated.

Um I appreciate Mr.

McFadden being here and participating in this as the chief of infrastructure services, I think.

So uh with that I'll close my comments.

I have my colleagues have some comments as well, but I will second the motion.

So we do have a motion by Councilmember Campbell and a second by Council President Lacava to second the motion on the floor.

And with that, we'll go next to Councilmember Foster.

Thank you, Chair, and uh thank you for the presentation.

And we did hear this um previously.

Um I did and continue to have some concerns.

Um, but listening to the conversation today, um we have this action that's before us today, but you mentioned the program there's another contract that we have programmatic contract where they're doing analysis to look at options and um how we are going to approach the the varied dam we are discussing.

With that work that is still outstanding or work that's being done.

Can you help me to understand why we are taking this action today?

Absolutely, and it it's a great question in regards to that.

We do have regulatory deadlines that we must address right now.

We cannot wait to have every analysis that the team went through to have that all done before we move.

We have definitely some priorities, just like Hodges, Barrett, Otie, Murray Dam.

We have other commitments and other requirements that are due.

And so we need to move forward in having that design work and keep maintaining that as we continue in a parallel path on the entire overall programmatic analysis.

And so do we not have any, do we not have another contract or an existing contract?

Did it expire?

What is the how are we taking care of these regulatory requirements prior to this item?

In regards to a lot of them didn't require some of them didn't require design.

We're moving into more major maintenance as it relates to design that we will need design expertise on this.

So we have contracts at Engineering and Capital Projects Department.

So they issued three as needed contracts to assist with some near-term repair projects and do design.

Those contracts are nearing completion and capacity.

So we no longer have the ability to issue work for new repair projects.

And how much were those contracts that we had in place?

Same concept.

What what are what's the capacity and timeline on these?

Yeah, so for each one, it was a five-year duration.

They were as needed, and they were each approximately seven million, so 21 million dollars total for all the as needed.

Okay.

And then with this um with this contract, what is the um maximum?

I I guess authority or capacity of a task order.

The task orders are not limited in dollar value.

I'm asking with the mayor's what is the mayoral authority for a task order.

I based on my comments at ATI, I had concerns on one commitments, right?

How are you going to break down subcontracts and things like that?

If I remember the conversation, right?

They're to be determined later as we go through actual task order process.

My question is what is the mayor's authority?

I'm trying to understand what we will see coming back and what we will not.

Within those 75 million dollars, it is um within the mayor's authority up to the 75 million dollars within the term of the contract.

But then coming back, we can come back each year in regards to our update.

Is that accurate?

I believe there's a limit on each task order regarding city attorneys.

Council approval.

Bonnie Sue Deputy City Attorney, there is no limit on tasks for as needed consultant contracts.

What you so essentially we're issuing 75 million dollars of capacity to the mayor, and not one item will come back to us in the 10-year process for additional authority.

Is that what I'm understanding?

Bonnie, could you clarify if task orders are capital funded if that would trigger an additional approval?

There is no cap on tasks for as needed consultant contracts.

There's no limit within the municipal code for this type of um this type of contract.

Okay.

They're talking, I'm waiting to see if they're going to add something.

Council member, I would just offer that we couldn't issue a task today to the total to the tune of 75 million dollars because that is not what's included in the rates that you all approved this past fall.

That's also not included in our five-year or our budget.

That the full amount in in year one.

So that's where we noted that every opportunity that we will be coming back for every annual dam safety update with an update on this program, but also in every five-year outlook, every budget and every rate case we have moving forward, there will be additional information on the planned spend for these contracts included within our dam safety program line items.

Is purchasing and contracting on the call?

I just want to make sure I understand this.

I didn't realize that consulted contracts did not come with a um a limit attached to the task orders.

Yes, P and C is online.

Yeah, good afternoon, uh, Councilmember Foster.

That is correct.

Currently, as we look at municipal code, there are no uh limits uh for task orders under as needed contracts.

Okay, so how much do we have budgeted for this cycle?

What's the budget impact or any rate?

I'm assuming what we have is included in the rates, and we're not going what I just heard.

We're not going to go over that.

Correct.

The amount is currently within this fiscal year as identified in our rate case and also with our five-year.

Okay.

All right.

Um thank you.

All right, thank you, Councilmember Foster, for your questions.

We'll go next to Council President Pro Tem Lee.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, we had a pretty extensive discussion of this in ATI, so I think for me, just summarizing and recapping it uh quickly is perhaps helpful.

Um I think everyone uh in the room understands the significant need for many of our dams, especially for Lake Hodges.

Um we already, as a council had initiated funding uh for the study of the conditions of the dams, um, and then the next step, frankly, is to have this contract in place to allow for funding to ensure that design the design phase for any future projects uh can occur.

And I know this is under a 10-year period.

Um, I feel comfortable with the budget authority piece being where we the council's gonna have some ability through annually in terms of determining what's actually implemented within the budget or authorized within the budget for um projects, and so that it's not all just going to be spent.

Um, but I presume that without this, we wouldn't be able to address any of the identified potential repairs, replacement, um, water levels as uh have been requested by the Department of Safety of Dams.

That is correct.

I mean, we have already have identified projects right now at Lower Otie at Murray at Barrett, um, risk reduction measures at um Hodges, all of those wouldn't be able to be completed without these contracts.

Thank you.

Well, with that, Council President, I'm happy to support the item and uh look forward to the work continuing.

All right, thank you, Council President Per Tamily.

I don't see anyone else in the lights.

Uh, let me ask one last question.

This is just design.

So when you identify construction contracts, those will come back because I suspect they will be quite sizable.

Yes.

Okay, just one double check up on that.

Okay, we have a motion by council member Campbell, a second by myself to move the staff recommendation.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Oh, sorry, the voting system, please cast your vote.

That passes unanimously.

So sorry, that is not pass unanimously.

That passes seven to one.

Uh, with council member foster voting no and council member Campio absent.

Thank you, Council President.

All right, thank you to my council colleagues for all the questions and comments.

Thank you to the good folks at PUD for putting this together and answering all the questions, and of course the gentleman from Fire Rescue for showing up as well.

So with that, clerk, please introduce item 203.

Item 203 is the naming of an existing alley in the Cabrillo Heights neighborhood within the Sarah Mesa Community Plan Area Itaiway PRJ-1130 276.

If you'd like to speak to this item, please be sure to submit your speaker slip to the front of the room into the clear box.

And if you are participating remotely, now is the time to raise your hand by pressing star nine or the raise your hand icon.

Thank you, Council President.

All right, thank you.

I see staff is settling in.

Please introduce yourselves for the record and let us know how much time you need for your presentation.

Good afternoon, Council President Lacaba and Council members.

My name is Daniel Neri, Development Project Manager with Development Services, and joining me today is senior land surveyor Greg Jeffries and land surveyor assistant Michael Bocutt.

I will need approximately three minutes for today's presentation.

All right.

Again when you're ready.

Okay.

Item number 203 on today's docket is project number PRJ 1130276 for the naming of an existing alley in the Cabrillo Heights neighborhood within the Sarah Mesa community plant area.

E TI Way.

The item before you today proposes the naming of an existing unnamed public right-of-way alley to Eway.

This street name change was brought forth by petition from all affected property owners and tenants fronting the subject property in accordance with San Diego Municipal Code 125-1120B.

Although the municipal code allows for a process one decision for petitions containing signatures indicating 100% support, the item before you requires a process 5 decision by city council because the circulated petition received less than 100% support.

The naming was determined to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Equality Act pursuant to CEQUAS sections 15301 for existing facilities and section 15311 for accessory structures.

The project is within the Sarah Mesa Community Plan Area of Council District 7, and the site lies between Larkdale Avenue and Makawa Avenue within the RM11 and RS17 zones.

The Cabrill Heights neighborhood lies east of Interstate 805, west of Interstate 15, and approximately 0.6 miles south of Montgomery Gibbs Airport.

The existing 26-foot wide and 0.4 mile long alley was established per map number 3003 of the Rancho Cabrillo subdivision in 1960.

Known today as the Cabrillo Heights neighborhood, the alley serves as a as a divide between the multi-dwelling unit residential RM11 zone to the north, shown here in Taupe, and the single dwelling unit RS17 zone to the south, shown here in yellow.

The development pattern of the Cabrill Heights neighborhood is a characterized by multifamily U.S.

military housing to the north along Larkdale Avenue and single family residences to the south along Makawa Avenue.

In accordance with the street name change regulations under the San Diego San Diego Municipal Code, the applicant provided identified 85 property owners or tenants with either property abutting the alley or a property within an address on the affected segment of the subject right-of-way.

The petition was circulated via door-to-door canvassing, resulting in 25 signatures in favor, which equates to 29% in support and exceeds the 25% minimum threshold required by the code.

It's important to note here that addresses without signatures were not responsive.

And should today's action be approved, all fronting properties will have the option to submit an address change request per information bulletin 185.

In accordance with San Diego Municipal Code Section 125-1120C, staff determined that the project does not adversely affect the multi-agency computer aided dispatch service for police fire and paramedic vehicles or the policies and procedures of the United States Postal Service, as E Taiway is not currently an assigned street name in the city.

On March 20th, 2025, the Sarah Mesa Community Planning Group voted 601 in support of a recommendation to approve the naming of the alley to E Taiway, citing enhanced safety, navigation, property addressing, and community identity as a reason for their support.

In consideration of the staff report and some supporting materials, staff recommends that city council adopt a resolution for the SEQA exemption pursuant to CEQA section 15301 and 15311.

Staff further recommends that the council adopt a resolution approving street name change PMT 3349350.

This concludes staff's presentation, and staff and the lead applicants are here to answer any questions.

All right, thank you for the presentation.

Clerk, please proceed with public comment.

We have we have a few speakers here.

Um, Gilad uh Deckner, if you can please come up to the microphone.

And if I can have the following individuals, please come up to the yellow reserve seats at the front.

Um Aviv Deckner and Ruan Ruhm Ruha Deckner.

Um you'll have two minutes each, please proceed.

Or if you'd like to all speak together, that's fine too.

Would you like to all speak together?

Yeah as an organized presentation.

We came here to show support.

Um we do live on that alley.

Uh the biggest issue right now is um vote delivery emergency services because it's such a distinct uh situation.

The houses that are facing the alley are very difficult to find.

So we'll see BS Lives driving around.

Uh I know from a neighbor that uh somebody called emergency ambulance and they came to the house facing the street.

And were unable to find the house that they will call it to in Dali.

So we are here to show support and uh hope to get that from you.

Thank you.

Does that conclude your comments?

Appreciate you being here.

We'll go to those participating remotely starting the five-minute timer.

There's actually nobody.

Oh, nobody in the virtual queue that concludes public comment on this item.

Okay, thanks.

You may take a seat.

Thank you for for taking the time and sitting through this afternoon's conversations.

Uh this is in District 7.

We would know that normally go to the District 7 Council member for guidance and geographic courtesy.

Uh he is not here, so we'll go first to Councilmember Von Wilbert.

Uh thank you.

Yes, since um Councilmember Campier is up on paternity leave with his new baby.

I'm happy to make the motion to approve recommendation to change the alleyway's name.

Okay, we have Councilmember Von Wilbert moving the recommendation, and we go next to Councilmember Campbell.

I'm happy to second the motion.

All right, we have a motion by council member Campbell to second the motion.

It's a recommendation on here.

I don't see anybody else in the lights.

Um I've got a couple of questions.

Uh this is a um a request by uh private property owners or residents.

Um who's going to pay for the new signs?

Thank you.

Um this conversation was held uh with the transportation department, and on August 7th of this uh past year, we received confirmation from senior traffic engineer Gary Pence in the transportation department that once approved by council, this would become a named alley like the rest of the city, and there is no charge uh for the street sign installation to the applicants that transportation will issue work orders to the streets divisions for the signs, and it will be funded from the general fund.

Okay.

Um I have to admit I have a little heartburn, even though it's like 3500 bucks going forward, um, given the very long uh needs list that we have.

Um city didn't identify this as a problem or something to be solved.

Um, and so I have a little bit of heartburn about doing that, especially with the military housing benefit from this.

Apparently, the military didn't offer to jump in on this conversation.

Um I appreciate the comment about emergency response.

I don't want anybody to think that an ADU or house in the back of a property that fronts on street and has an alley behind it is dangerous.

Um I don't know why a 911 call wouldn't have identified where the problem was going forward, but I don't want anybody to think that is dangerous.

Uh but I I do have in these terrible, terrible budget conversations that we're having, even $3,500 is kind of a big deal going forward.

So I wish the 29 people that or the 25 people that had signed it would have been willing to pay up for that sign uh to their mutual benefit.

So uh but I just wanted to clear that up and bring that to everybody's attention.

So seeing nobody else on the lights, we have a motion by council member von Wolpert and a second by council member Campbell to move the uh staff recommendation.

Oh sorry, the voting system, please cast your vote that passes unanimously eight to zero with council member Campio absent.

Thank you, Council President.

All right, congratulations on getting this action and look forward to a Municode change update to clarify some of those questions.

Uh with that, we will now take up non-agenda public comment.

The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings.

Clerk, please proceed with public comment.

Thank you.

Please note if there are eight or more speakers on a single topic.

The maximum time for the topic will be 16 minutes if you're in chambers.

Please submit a speaker's up to the front of the room in the clear box if you're participating remotely.

Now's the time to raise your hand by pressing star nine or the raise your hand icon.

If I can have Christina Gary by Taylor, please come to the front.

And then Anthony Ralphs.

If you can also come to the yellow reserve seats, you'll have two minutes.

Please proceed.

If you can just speak into that microphone there, my timer.

That is your timer.

We'll start when you speak.

Hello, everybody.

My name is Christina Garibai Taylor, and I am here representing uh residents from the a thousand uh block of Granger Street, 92154.

Ms.

Vigan Moreno is our district uh rep or sorry, our council member.

And just to give you some brief history.

Um, in 2022, my husband was in connection with Miss Moreno to repair, resurface the street we live in per the PCI, which is public record.

Uh our street hasn't been uh touched in over 30 years.

Um I have pictures here.

You know, this doesn't do justice.

She's been there three years ago or so.

Um we've been anxiously waiting for repair, and um we're just continue waiting.

So I was proactive this year at the beginning of the year.

I've emailed um Mayor Tad Gloria four times, including Miss Moreno, uh, the Department of Transportation.

I am just here representing my uh community, and my husband and I, as well as every resident, um, has paid and continues to pay uh taxes.

So I think um we need to make our voice heard, and we will do what it takes to make some noise and get everybody's attention.

Um, with that being said, um let me see.

Hopefully, I'm not missing anything in these two minutes.

Um I did I would like to um end with something from the mayor.

Um 2026 state of the city address.

Uh the voices of residents on the a thousand dollar a thousand block of Granger Street and 1400 block of Eboy Avenue have gone unheard.

Request for resurfacing in our neighborhood has been ignored for decades, and then the mayor in twenty in his recent uh and that means roads are smooth sidewalks without trip hazards, three lights that work.

Anyway, um, you know, if if thank you.

Thank you for your time and hopefully we can you for that concluding comment.

Anthony.

Hello, City Council.

Um, I wanted to start today by thanking Shawnee Lu Rivera for the uh proposed empty homes tax.

Um, and I wanted to thank everybody else on the board that voted in favor of that, including uh Kent Lee, uh including uh Mr.

Whitburn, I believe as well, and Joe Lacava and Raul Campio, who is not here today.

Uh, but I wanted to start by thanking y'all uh for pushing that legislation forward.

That means a lot to the people of San Diego.

Um that will go a long way in making housing affordable for everyone here in San Diego.

So thank you very much for doing that.

Um part of the reason why I'm here today is because uh I wanted to talk about Flock, which has meant a lot to me and my safety or my feeling of lack of safety, and I wanted to talk about how everything from a human being down to the smallest uh electron changes its behavior when it knows that it's being observed.

Um, and this issue is to me a violation of the Fourth Amendment, and I'm very concerned that activists like myself will no longer feel comfortable and safe doing the work and trying to keep everyone in our town safe with the issues that we love when we find out about issues like uh Operation Road Flair, uh, which just surfaced, which uh we now know is a project uh which ICE is engaged with along with the DHS in targeting activists, uh specifically Jean Wong and Arturo Gonzalez, who are both friends of mine, um, and uh these documents were revealed in Jean Wong's uh court appearance down at the Superior Court a couple of weeks ago.

And this is uh what exactly what we were fearing a couple of months ago when we were having this discussion about Flock in these chambers was that this uh technology could and would be utilized to begin going after activists.

And uh so now I'm asking y'all to please reconsider your position on Flock.

Um, and please don't continue casting this mass surveillance dragnet on activists like myself and my friends.

Thank you.

Thank you for that concluding comment.

I'm sorry the five-minute time we're going to those participating remotely.

We currently have eight speakers with their hands raised, starting with Terry Ann Skelly.

Please unmute.

After that, we'll be Francine Maxwell.

Terrianne, please proceed.

Good afternoon, San Diego City Council.

My name is Terry Ann Skelly.

I'm a planning group member, a parent, and a public health educator.

Last week, KPBS interviewed Radies Children's Hospital Pediatrician, Dr.

Natalie Long, regarding the increase of 600 adolescents to its emergency room in 2025 because they needed treatment of some kind for their cannabis use.

She said that, and I quote, prior to 2020, we were only seeing a handful of adolescents a year, maybe 20 or 30.

Cannabis products are far more potent today than what previous generations were exposed to.

End quote.

PBS interviewed Dr.

Lobb in response to the new research published in the Journal of American Medical Association regarding cannabis use with increased risk for serious mental health conditions.

The strongest associations the study found was for psychotic and bipolar disorders, where the risk was about doubled.

And importantly, teens reported on their cannabis use about one to two years before their mental health diagnosis.

Again, Dr.

Lobb is Laub is quoted in a quote: We see this public health crisis emerging in children and young adults with early initiation of cannabis use.

End quote.

I think we as residents of San Diego need to ask ourselves what this early use marijuana means for the long-term well-being of our younger residents and the many who care about them and take responsibility for reducing visibility and promotions that come with selling marijuana here in our city.

Thank you for hearing me this afternoon.

Thank you, Nexus Francine Maxwell, if you can please unmute.

After that is medicine.

Francine Maxwell, Southeastern San Diego resident.

I think I heard from the diocese today that we want the community to feel safer.

And so this council should be asking why they're not getting more updates from the CPP.

We are extremely excited to have an executive director, but you haven't shared with the community why we don't have our attorney.

We have been in meet and confer for almost three years.

So that also erodes the trust.

We completely understand that we will be in meet and confer for a while, but again, any opportunity to share information with the community on where we are because the CPP does not have their own attorney.

And that's what the that's what we voted for.

And so again, we want to build trust, and not having an attorney doesn't do that.

But what could build trust and what should open up the communication with the council along with the community is that post is in town, March 3rd, 4th, and 5th.

And some of our San Diego PD may be in those particular conversations and in those presentations.

And so we need to be educated and make sure that if people have the time can go on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th down to the post meeting, which is going to be down at Caltrans.

Very important opportunity to find out about other officers that may help educate people and get them to file more complaints against some of our officers so that we can change some of the training.

Love the direction that we're going in for training, but sometimes training is just not enough.

There's an undergird, and there's a lot of private conversations, there's a lot of backdoor conversations going on, but you're not holding a hearing with the constituents, and you're not holding town halls on public safety.

So again, let's let's let's dive in and let's build trust and have hard conversations in safe places.

Madison, if you can please unmute after that is Andrea Ebbing.

Madison, please unmute.

Okay, thank you.

Good afternoon, City Council members.

I'm here this afternoon as a community member concerned about an issue affecting young people in San Diego, which is the rise in use of inhalants, including nitrous oxide products, commonly known as whippets.

These products are inexpensive, widely available, and often perceived by teens as harmless because they're sold legally for culinary purposes.

But when misused, inhaling nitrous oxide can deprive the brain of oxygen in seconds.

That can lead to a loss of consciousness, seizures, traumatic falls, and in some cases, sudden death.

Repeated use carries longer term risks.

Medical professionals have documented nerve damage, spinal cord injury, vitamin B12 depletion, cognitive impairment, depression, and psychosis, all linked to heavy nitrous oxide exposure.

Because it acts so quickly on the brain, it can also be psychologically reinforcing for adolescents whose brains are still developing.

What makes this especially concerning is how accessible these products are.

In many neighborhoods, they are sold in smoke shops alongside other intoxicating substances.

We are normalizing retail environments that cluster mind-altering products together.

And our youth are paying attention.

As a city, we often talk about mental health and equity, and preventing youth access to harmful inhalants fits squarely within those goals.

I encourage the council to examine enforcement, retailer education, and whether additional safeguards might be needed to limit youth access and reduce bulk sales that clearly signal misuse.

Brain development continues into the mid-20s.

The decisions we make about retail environments and public health protections matter.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The five-minute timer did conclude during her comment.

There are eight people in the queue.

No additional speakers will be taken after those eight.

Next is Andrea Ebbing, and after that is phone number ending in 8700 and then 7499.

Please proceed, Andrea.

This is Andrea Ebbing, and I um a mother of three beautiful girls who were all abducted from San Diego.

They're in two separate states with two felony charge perpetrators of domestic violence, with me as their name victim.

So my daughters were ripped out of their home away from each other, taken thousands of miles away from me and each other on a permanently suspended license by somebody who just had strangled me on video.

My other ex, the one who paid for their shared attorney, whose name is Ben Embry, who is also an attorney in another case in which Summer Stefan protected and defended only her husband and perpetrator, who is a Rancho Santa Fe doctor.

This woman was pushed to suicide.

Her name is Alexander Von Alexander Vontander.

She survived, but she was abandoned too.

We are traumatized.

And I know you get these emails, and I want to know like it is you people sitting up there did not take my children.

You didn't sell my children.

Judge Paula Rosenstein did, Summer Stefan did, Harold Oliver did, Eva Kiliamon did, uh Billy Driver did, um Callie Tomeskin did, uh Holland Tefoya did, right?

So, but when I'm reporting stuff like my ex's partner is an opioid dealer who had written 78,000 scripts and dead people and prisoners' names and had rehab patients and homeless people pick them up and distribute those drugs, and he only got 18 months for it after his sixth medical license revocation, as well as Prakash Bhatia, who's a psychiatrist, Summer Stefan used to commit Nancy Sussman, is also an opioid dealer, and then these people continue to get contracts.

I'm begging you guys to hold these people accountable.

I don't know if you have the power to do it, but I am begging you to hear my voice because we need each other.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is 8700, if you can please unmute.

After that is 7499.

8700.

There you go.

Uh, thank you, uh Joyce and Yata CD3.

Uh, a couple of things before I make my point.

Uh, President Lacava, thank you for what you said regarding the budget on that alley naming item.

I really, really appreciated that.

That was just it's such a little thing, but it was a great statement.

Thank you.

Now, uh, I want to say this before I get to my main point.

I'm probably gonna run out of time, city clerk, but anyway, so be it.

Um San Diego County Water Authority.

When are we going to wake up to them?

Now I don't I'm gonna research this later, but are they do they have a vested interest and are legally obligated to do what they make us do with the 50%, or if it's a new thing, they don't pay for it or whatever.

What are they doing?

Are they putting ourselves are they just I don't get what's going on here?

We have a great city attorney's office.

Why don't they know legally what we're obligated to do with these people?

And it it's not, you know, uh blessing to the people.

It's the systems that they work with that they condone that make me so angry.

So I'll have to wait and speak later.

Uh, but uh, I'll say something briefly.

I'll speak on that um Colorado River Crisis article, uh, probably tomorrow.

But I just want to say that if you go before the water comes to the dams, that's at the San Vicente Reservoir, which is 15 miles northeast of the city, and then you go north in a canoe backwards.

Look at that network.

Start with the snow in the mountains and follow our water down.

You won't believe what's happening.

It's not nice.

And and we've got to do something about it.

Thank you, love to all.

Thank you, Nexus 7499.

If you can please unmute.

After that is Becky Rep.

Bob Kazuski here.

I've noticed that more and more city departments are using constant contact to send marketing email to citizens.

So I did a search on constant contact abuses.

Here's what an AI summary that I got back said.

Quote, constant contact has been associated with various abuses, including credential fishing attacks where threat actors compromise accounts to send malicious email.

These incidents highlight the risks of using shared email marketing platforms as compromised accounts can lead to widespread fishing attempts.

Leveraging the platform's trusted reputation to deceive recipients, cyber criminals have also abused constant contacts infrastructure to create malicious links leading to credential theft, end quote.

So why is the city using constant contact to communicate with citizens?

For example, the city clerk's website has a button that says, quote, sign up for city council agenda and update to distribution list, quote.

But that link goes to constantcontact pages.com.

The city's park and recreation department has a link titled, quote, sign up for to receive meeting agenda, news and updates, end quote.

But their sign-up link also goes to constantcontact.com.

Why can't the city send its own email messages to citizens without involving a third-party business?

Similarly, why is are the city council agenda archives maintained by Highland Cloud?

If you go to the City Clerk's website, City Clerk Official Docs Legislative Brown Act, you'll find that the current agenda in PDF format is there.

It's beautiful.

Thank you, City Clerk.

But none of the archived agendas are there.

Instead, there's a link to quote past agendas and minutes.

And that link, of course, redirects to HighlandCloud.com.

Why is it that the city clerk can post the current agenda to the city's own website but can't just leave it there as an archive?

Why is the city paying private businesses to deliver public content?

As we've learned from Tory Pine's glide report, the mixture of government monopoly and private greed is never good.

Please stop selling your citizens to private businesses.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is Becky Rapp.

If you can please unmute.

Also, if you raise your hand after the five-minute timer, we will not be able to take you today, but you can definitely email your comments in to City Clerk at San Diego.gov, and those will be distributed.

Please proceed, Becky.

Thank you, and good afternoon, Council President and Council members.

My name is Becky Rapp, and today I'd like to draw your attention to a major new brain imaging study published in JAMA by researchers at the University of Colorado.

This was the largest MRI study ever conducted on marijuana and cognition, testing more than a thousand young adults between the ages of 22 and 36.

The findings are very concerning.

Heavy marijuana use was associated with significantly reduced brain activity.

63% of users showed diminished neural response.

The reduced activity was seen in parts of the brain responsible for executive control, attention, and emotional processing.

These are the very areas we rely on for judgment, impulse control, and safe decision making.

Young adulthood is a critical time for brain development and exposure to high potency marijuana, which is being sold in our city's pot shops, has serious consequences.

I urge this council to ensure that public education and prevention become a top priority.

San Diego has an opportunity to lead with evidence-based studies.

So I urge this council to consider what will the future look like if look like in San Diego if younger generations are suffering from preventable cognitive impairment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is John Stump.

If you can please unmute.

Thank you.

Seriously reviewed to consider what's not in there.

What's not in there is the free launches and hidden subsidy.

The council president made a good point about the street sign and its cost.

But of course, those costs didn't include the cost to install and the cost to have it on the agenda today.

Hidden subsidies.

Many organizations who do great things get a free lunch.

They get support from the council for their lease or their activity, but the council never considers what it costs to maintain that facility or that activity.

In the case, and I'll give you an example, you know, the Lake Hodges thing is a clear example.

One guy, one group says we don't need like Hodges, and we don't want to subsidize it.

That's a sound decision.

Um at the city, it's good.

We have CWorld, which has a contract which provides for reimbursement of this to the city of the city's cost associated with CWorld activities.

But the other venues operate, like the zoo, my favorite, and they don't re reimburse the city for its cost.

Just because they say we're going to bring in revenues, really is not financial analysis.

That's betting on a cum.

Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next is Judy Strang, if you can please unmute.

Good afternoon, City Council.

Thank you for this opportunity to share some thoughts I've had.

We are planning our after school program for mentoring and touring of teens for elementary school students.

And as such, I receive a lot of information about research going on for teens and a lot of information regarding the challenges they face.

And since I work with them every day, I get to see it firsthand.

I'd like to tell you a little bit more about it because it gets to the heart of some of the questions that we've had regarding marijuana use and mental health issues, which causes what?

This is a research using Kaiser Permanente Health System in Northern California.

460,000 teenagers were followed until they were 25 years old.

They were asked about their marijuana use.

And then later, if they had mental health issues, they were trying to understand what came first.

So they did not include in the study anyone who was already showing signs of mental health issues.

They could just wanted to make the connection between cannabis use and mental health issues.

So they found that there was a high number of teens who began cannabis use as young teens who later manifested mental health issues.

And particularly the two they noticed were the psychotic disorders like schizophrenia as well as bipolar.

These two particular diseases are extremely expensive to treat and debilitating for everyone around them.

I think it becomes ever more important for us to understand the role of marijuana in the role of our young people as they travel this journey to adulthood.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is Barbara Gordon.

If you can please unmute.

Barbara, you're our final speaker.

Um good afternoon.

I am here today to urge you to address the alarming rise in tobacco pouches, such as Zen and their impact on our youth.

These products marketed by the tobacco industry as tobacco free, contain, but they contain nicotine are often perceived as harmless, particularly by younger people.

Our high school and college campuses are littered with these pouches.

These the low risk of perception has led to the increase of experimentation and addiction among adolescents, jeopardizing their health and future.

Nicotine pouches during adolescence can cause significant cognitive impairment and negatively affecting attention, learning, and impulse control.

Furthermore, young people who use tobacco pouches are more likely to transition to traditional cigarettes, marijuana, and perpetuating the cycle of addiction and health risk.

The flavored varieties of these products further entice youth, masking the harshness of tobacco, making it easier for them to start using.

I am asking the city council to consider a public service campaign or initiative to raise the awareness about the dangers of these tobacco pouches.

By working together, we can foster a healthy environment for our youth, protecting them from the manipulative tactics of the tobacco industry, and ultimately reducing the prevalence of tobacco use in our community.

Thank you for letting me speak.

Thank you.

That does conclude on agenda public comment for this meeting.

All right, thank you, City Clerk.