San Diego Community and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – June 29, 2023
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San Diego Community and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – June 29, 2023
The Community and Neighborhood Services Committee met on June 29, 2023, to approve prior committee actions, hear public comment, and consider the proposed allocation of citywide park development impact fees. All votes were unanimous. The next meeting was scheduled for July 27, 2023, at 1 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Committee Actions of May 25, 2023: The committee unanimously approved the prior meeting's actions. Public comment was heard before the vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- On Consent Calendar: Lori Saldania reported that menstrual products for parks and recreation restrooms were over a year behind despite a $100,000 budget allocation, urging the committee to ask the mayor's office where the products are. Dan Jmikowski (also transcribed as Dan Schmikowski) complained about lack of leadership among the nine city council members.
- Staff Update on Menstrual Products: In response, Parks and Recreation Director Andy Field said the delay was due to procurement challenges with dispensers, not products. The library installation was expected within a month, with parks following in August.
- Non-agenda public comment:
- A speaker raised concerns about code enforcement and a permit/planning matter, mentioning Director Forbis and collaboration with city enforcement.
- Joy Sanyata commended Paul Downey, CEO/President of Serving Seniors, and promoted the "Give 65" event July 11–13, seeking 6,500 donations in 65 hours.
- Lori Saldania opposed the city's unsheltered encampment ordinance, arguing it forces unhoused people into unsafe areas with no infrastructure, calling it discriminatory and harmful, and held certain council members responsible.
- Megan McCall and Terry Best supported the "Roll It for Equity" campaign, presenting survey postcards showing community support for medical cannabis, consumption lounges, and equitable cannabis access.
- Jay Goldberg cited statistics on short-term rentals (STRs): over 90% of STRs licensed, 15–20% of licensed STRs non-compliant, over 200 buildings of three or more units entirely made up of STRs, and 25% of licenses controlled by owners with multiple licenses. He urged Treasurer's Department enforcement.
- Cindra Velasquez described an apartment owner with over 100 STR licenses who evicted 45 low-income tenants in Ocean Beach, and recommended three amendments: disallow straw hosts, hold owners liable, and restrict entire apartment complex conversions.
- Blair Beekman expressed concern about law enforcement authority in encampment policies and noted Balboa Park performers being hurt by park rangers.
- Dan Schmikowski defended his previous comments and invited Councilmember Whitburn to a 5K walk/run.
- On item 1 (park DIF allocations):
- Joy Sanyata supported the allocations, noting 10 of 11 projects are in park-deficient communities and applauded the equity lens.
- Lori Saldania urged consideration of unhoused families and air quality when siting parks and encampments.
- A virtual speaker (parent/volunteer) supported the allocations and asked for smoke-free and vape-free parks.
- Dan Schmikowski suggested converting Balboa Park's 9-hole golf course into a children's wonderland.
- Blair Beekman discussed technology uses in parks and cited Davis, California's policies on wildlife and trail surveillance.
- Peggy Walker noted that 99% of investment would go to park-deficient communities, cited Livewell San Diego data that Southeast San Diegans die 10 years younger than central San Diegans, and asked for smoke-free facilities.
- Judy Strang supported trail improvements and advocated for smoke-free and vape-free public places.
Discussion Items
- Citywide Park Development Impact Fee Project Allocations: Andy Field (Parks and Recreation Director) and Tom Tomlinson (Assistant Director) presented the proposal. The total allocation is $8.3 million, combining $7.76 million in citywide park DIF funds for 10 CIP projects and land acquisition, plus $138,000 in community-based DIF. Selection criteria included the Parks Master Plan, DIF resolution requirements, Mitigation Fee Act compliance, a project score of 50+, and leveraging other funding sources. The proposed projects represent 99% investment in park-deficient communities (minimum 80%), 69% in communities of concern (minimum 40%), and 13% in land acquisition (minimum 10%), across 14 community planning areas and 8 council districts. The department noted its broader portfolio includes 187 CIP projects with over $500 million in funding needs, and the five-year capital outlook forecasts up to $39 million per year for this funding source.
- Council Discussion: Councilmember Campillo moved approval, noting the design phase for John Baca Park would be fully funded; staff estimated design completion in 18 months, with construction funding in mid-FY25. Council President Ilo Rivera seconded and discussed land acquisition strategy, with Field outlining priorities including East Elliott, Mission Trails, the San Diego River, Choyas Creek, and Otay Mesa, as well as small pocket parks. Chair Campbell asked about using CIP funds for bathroom repairs; Field noted many restrooms are from the 1960s/1970s and that the DIF source is for expansion, with replacements planned in Balboa Park and Mission Bay.
- Staff corrections: Tom Tomlinson noted typos in the staff report: page 5 incorrectly read "9.7.76" and will be corrected to "7.76"; page 6 table should read "7.761362 million"; and budget sections would be updated to reflect the adopted budget.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimously approved the Committee Actions of May 25, 2023.
- Unanimously approved the Citywide Park Development Impact Fee Project Allocations (item 1) as presented.
- The committee adjourned to the next meeting on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 1 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Welcome to the Community and Neighborhood Services Committee meeting of June 29th, 2023. The committee layers on Natalie Kessler will provide information and instruction. Thank you. While members of the public are able to attend meetings in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and Council Administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Additionally, members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual speaking queue by raising their hand before the queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. And Natalie, please continue with public comment instructions. If you are attending in person and wish to speak on any items, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the box indicated at the speaker's left turn at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. Members of the public can join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link, which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please style one six six nine two five four five two five two. When prompted, input webinar ID one six zero, nine nine zero, zero four nine eight pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Members of the public who wish to provide testimony via a call-in or an internet based service option must enter the virtual speaking queue within five minutes after the conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak on a particular item, wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon or by pressing star nine. And if you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. We will review these instructions briefly again when the public comment period on an item is open. Also, please mute the volume on your TV or computer before you begin to speak. Chair Campbell. Thank you. A quorum is now present, and we will now dispense with the approval of the committee actions of May 25th, 2023. And Natalie, please proceed. Thank you, Chair. The public comment period for the committee actions of May 25th, 2023 is now open. And Chair, we do have one speaker who submitted a speaker slip who wishes to speak on the committee actions. Lori Saldania, if you could please come up to the microphone, you will have two minutes. Thank you. At your committee meeting in May, you approved some or you you had some information items about parks and recreation. Parks and recreation restrooms are now over a year behind on providing menstrual products for girls and women who use our parks who use our libraries. Those two council members in their priority budget request specifically called out for menstrual equity in our parks and recreation libraries and in the restrooms in those facilities. It has now been over a year. We're about to enter a new fiscal year. There are none of these products. And that is since this is a committee that deals with uh community and neighborhood services. This is a service to members of the San Diego community, girls and women who need these products. So when you approved the park and recreation items or discussed them last month, I don't know if you discussed the lack of menstrual products, but menstrual equity is an important component of caring for a community. You define a community by a group of people, whether they're related by family, by agency, by any other reason. Community are people who care about one another. And by denying menstrual equity to girls and women in San Diego and the city of San Diego, you are undermining that sense of community. You are not caring for people that need these products on a regular basis. So if the mayor's office is the holdup, perhaps you can inquire of the mayor's staff. Why has it been a year since the budget was approved? 100,000 was allocated, and these products are still not in public restrooms for City of San Diego, parks and recreation and library facilities. It's a simple question, and I encourage this committee to ask the mayor where these products are. Thank you.
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