Special City Council Meeting - May 20, 2026: Closed Session on Litigation
Special City Council Meeting - May 20, 2026: Closed Session on Litigation
The San Diego City Council held a special meeting on May 20, 2026, primarily to enter a closed session to discuss existing litigation pursuant to California Government Code Section 54956.9. The meeting included public comments before the closed session and concluded with no reportable action.
Public Comments & Testimony
- John Stone (speaker): Urged the council to settle the litigation matter, stating that based on his observations during hearings, there is a very good chance the plaintiffs will prevail.
- Speaker identified as "eighty seven hundred" (likely referring to an agenda item or project number): Raised concerns about a fee that was set higher than the one on the ballot and noted new issues that have arisen. The speaker urged the council to honor the factual letter of the law and apply the spirit of the law, referencing one hundred years of free service and the need for compromise on both sides.
Discussion Items
- The council recessed into closed session to confer on existing litigation. No further discussion occurred in open session before or after the closed session.
Key Outcomes
- The closed session concluded with no reportable action. The city attorney stated, "There's nothing to report out." The meeting then adjourned without any votes or directives.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good morning. I will now call the special City Council meeting of Wednesday, May twentieth, twenty twenty-six to order. Clerk, please call the roll. Thank you, Council President. Council Member Campbell. Councilmember Whitburn. Here. Councilmember Foster. Here. Councilmember Von Wolpert. Council President Pro Tem Lee. Here. Councilmember Campillo. Here. Council Member Moreno. Present. Council Member Elo Rivera. And Council President Locava. Present. Also attending the meeting, our assistant city attorney Michelle Garland, independent budget analyst Charles Monica, and myself, your city clerk, the NF Wentes. Thank you, Council President. This is conference with the council existing litigation pursuant to California Government Code Section Five Four Nine Five Six. I've heard and observed during those hearings. I urge you to settle this matter. Um I don't think counts your city attorney can detail for you the um proceedings. But um I think there's a very good chance that the plaintiffs will prevail in this matter. Thank you very much. Have a good closed session. John Stone. Thank you. Our next speaker is eighty seven hundred. If you can please unmute. Then a different fee was set higher than the one on the ballad. Plus new issues arrived. So here's my direction. Honor the factual part of it. That's the letter of the law. And apply the spirit of the law, because after one hundred years of free service, some give, some take is required on both sides of this case. So that does conclude public comment on the closed session. All right, thank you, City Clerk. We will now recess into closed session and reconvene council to open session for a report out at the conclusion of the closed session. Please note the Zoom webinar will be concluding as well and will be turned back on when the council reconvenes for the report out. Thank you. Um, I'm not a little bit more than. Okay, good morning. I will now reconvene the special city council meeting Wednesday, May twentieth, twenty twenty six. Clerk, please call the roll. Thank you, Council President, Councilmember Campbell. Councilmember Whitburn. Councilmember Foster.
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