San Diego City Council Meeting of Monday, May 11, 2026

The San Diego City Council met on May 11, 2026, in a hybrid format to consider a range of items including business improvement district budgets, updates to the Land Development Code, adoption of the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, and the Mission Bay Park Improvement Program. The meeting began with an invocation and land acknowledgement, followed by public comments on closed session items. The council recessed into closed session and reconvened at 2 p.m. for the afternoon session. Several items were approved unanimously, and the council reported out actions from closed session.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Catherine Rhodes opposed the trash fee increase, stating it rose from approximately $20 to $40 and could reach $50. She advocated returning to the previous system and suggested accepting a deal from Micah Geary to freeze the fee for two years.
• Hector criticized the trash fee, calling for refunds and opposing collection methods tied to water bills. He also commented on a police shooting settlement, arguing the city should have taken the case to trial rather than settling.
• The Original accused the council of willful negligence and fraud, referencing litigation costs and criticizing closed session decisions and the opioid litigation.
• Lori Sildania spoke on multiple closed session items, emphasizing that trip-and-fall hazards can be life-threatening, referencing her mother's death. She supported an audit of city finances and criticized the trash fee overcharge.
• Speaker 8700 (Joyce Yata) voiced support for closed session items including opioid litigation and financial class action, and raised procedural questions about consent on closed session.
• Sonny Lee, Benjamin Nichols, Blair Beekman, Evan Strong, Jacqueline Schlepnik Garcia, Jody Rudick, and Michael Trimble all spoke in support of the Business Improvement District (BID) budgets, highlighting the programs' importance for small businesses and community vitality.
• Kathleen Lipu criticized a BID for supporting high-risk drinking events, calling for more community-friendly practices.
• Amy Fawcett and John Allen (Building Industry Association) supported the Land Development Code update, noting stakeholder collaboration.
• Heather Riley supported item 93 allowing childcare centers in MCAS Miramar transition zones.
• Mindy Hartstein (T-Mobile) expressed concerns about small cell facility design restrictions in the wireless communication regulations.
• Gary Hewitt (Downtown Community Planning Council) opposed item 11, which would allow administrative override of noise limits, arguing it would eliminate noise protections for downtown residents.
• John Stump opposed increasing appeal fees to $2,380, calling it discriminatory against low-income communities.
• Craig Benedetto (NAOP) supported the LDC update.
• Peggy Walker and others supported stronger restrictions on cannabis marketing and billboards.
• Public comment on the Urban Water Management Plan included calls for rainwater capture, criticism of water management practices, and concerns about future shortages.
• Stephanie Saitov (Mission Bay Lessees Association) supported the Mission Bay Park Improvement Program, emphasizing safety and deferred maintenance priorities.
• Catherine Rhodes praised the Mission Bay EIR as a model and urged similar thoroughness for Midway Rising.
• Public comment on the Mission Bay item also included recommendations for seawall design and enforcement against littering.

Discussion Items

• Item 202: Fiscal Year 2027 Business Improvement District (BID) Budgets – Staff presented the annual appropriation process for 18 active BIDs, with an estimated $1.5 million in assessments from 12,000 businesses. The council approved the budgets and associated contracts unanimously (7-0, with Councilmembers Von Wilper and Foster absent).
• Item 204: 2026 Land Development Code Update – Staff presented 134 proposed amendments (103 citywide, 31 downtown) covering housing incentives, noise regulations, childcare centers, wireless facilities, appeal fees, and more. The Planning Commission had recommended approval. The council approved the update unanimously (7-0).
• Item 203: Adoption of the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan – Staff presented the required five-year update, projecting a flattening of water demand through 2050 due to reduced growth forecasts and conservation. The council adopted the plan unanimously (7-0).
• Item 201: Mission Bay Park Improvements Program, Programmatic Environmental Impact Report and Implementation Framework – Staff presented the program covering wetland restoration, shoreline protection, bike/pedestrian improvements, and seawall restoration. The council certified the EIR and adopted the implementation framework unanimously (5-0, with Councilmembers Campillo, Von Wilper, and Foster absent).

Key Outcomes

• Trash Fee and Closed Session Items: The council recessed into closed session at approximately 10:30 a.m. and reconvened at 2 p.m. No public votes were taken on trash fee items during open session, but the council later reported closed session actions.
• Closed Session Votes: The council voted 8-0 to intervene in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation and in the Discover Card Merchant Class Action (Councilmember Foster absent).
• BID Budgets (Item 202): Approved 7-0.
• Land Development Code Update (Item 204): Approved 7-0.
• Urban Water Management Plan (Item 203): Approved 7-0.
• Mission Bay Park Improvements (Item 201): Approved 5-0.
• Postponement of Item 200 (Pavement Management Plan): Due to loss of quorum, the item was returned to staff and will be heard at a future meeting.
• Non-Agenda Public Comment: In-person public comment was taken; remote comment was postponed to the next day's agenda.