Community Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting - November 2, 2023
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Community Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting - November 2, 2023
The Community Neighborhood Services Committee met on November 2, 2023, at 10:00 AM. Chair Jennifer Campbell presided, with Council President Eli Rivera and Councilmember Stephen Whitburn present. Councilmember Raul Campillo was absent. The committee approved the October 5, 2023 committee actions, passed two consent agenda items, and received informational updates on the municipal child care benefit pilot program, the special events and filming office, and the building and land use enforcement division. Public testimony was heard on all items.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Committee Actions (October 5, 2023): Passed 3-0. Public commenters raised concerns about public restrooms, sidewalk vending, and expressive activities, but no changes were made.
- Item 1: Joint Use Agreements with San Diego Unified School District: Approved for Audubon K-8, Dana Middle, Garfield Elementary, Language Academy, Marston Middle, and Stanley Middle Schools. Councilmember Whitburn noted the community benefit of shared use of school facilities.
- Item 2: Cooperative Procurement Contract with West Coast Arborists, Inc.: Approved for tree services in maintenance assessment districts, valued at $9,929,759 over two years. Councilmember Whitburn highlighted tree planting efforts in District 3. Both items passed unanimously (Councilmember Kempio absent).
Public Comments & Testimony (Non-Agenda)
- Terry Ann Skelly (District 3) opposed removing sensitive use restrictions for marijuana storefronts, arguing that parks, churches, and libraries should remain protected.
- Dan Schmikowski expressed concern about excessive marijuana availability and its proximity to children and schools.
- Blair Beekman advocated for a cautious approach to the Smart Streetlight contract, suggesting a lower number of new ALPRs and delayed approval for more public input.
- The Original criticized the city for perceived globalist agendas, referenced a fraud case involving former staff, and questioned the city's focus on international partnerships over local needs.
- Joyce Sanyata (District 3) spoke about cultural competency and algorithms, urging understanding and acceptance of diversity.
- Judy Strang expressed condolences for recent youth shootings and urged the city to address alcohol and marijuana use at parties.
Child Care Benefit Pilot Program Update
- Presentation: Andrea O'Hara and Tara Ryan (Office of Child and Youth Success) reported on a $2 million HUD grant-funded pilot. A needs assessment received 1,605 responses (13.4% response rate). The pilot provides monthly payments to child care providers for eligible employees. 173 employees were verified eligible; 8 declined due to tax liability. Benefits range from $100 to $600 per child per month based on need score. The first year (Sept 2023–Aug 2024) will distribute $838,958. Remaining funds ($1.1M) will be reopened in spring 2024. The city would need ~$1.5M annually to continue.
- Public Comments: Joyce Sanyata praised the outreach and need factors. Dan Schmikowski supported expanding the program. The Original criticized the use of HUD funds and argued the city should focus on basic needs.
- Discussion: Councilmembers Whitburn and Rivera commended the program, noting its potential for recruitment and retention. Rivera asked about addressing child care supply; O'Hara cited Measure H and partnerships with the county and planning department.
Special Events and Filming Office Update
- Presentation: Natasha Kalera, Justine King, and Guy Langman highlighted the office's role in permitting events and filming. Key statistics: 130,000 Comic-Con attendees, millions in economic impact. Filming has increased 15–30% in the past year, with national commercials (Nike, Cadillac, Visit California) and reality shows (Bachelorette, 90 Day Fiancé). The office staff of six manages thousands of events annually. Upcoming: December Nights on Dec 1–2 with new features (ice skating rink, family zone, free shuttles). Priorities include updating the special event ordinance, creating a mini-permit, and launching a startup fund for underserved districts.
- Public Comments: Joyce Sanyata expressed excitement and suggested involvement in World Design Capital 2024. Dan Schmikowski praised the economic benefits. The Original opposed the film industry, arguing it diverts resources from homelessness and border issues.
- Discussion: Council President Rivera asked about coordination with the Tourism Authority; clarified that the office activates public space, not venues. He also raised the possibility of leveraging events for infrastructure improvements (e.g., repaving). Councilmember Whitburn noted the office's small staff and asked about growth drivers; Langman cited exploitation of LA's weaknesses and a concierge approach. Langman added that local hiring is growing (70/30 to 50/50 split).
Building and Land Use Enforcement Division Overview
- Presentation: Leslie Sennett (Deputy Director) described the division's 91 positions (12 vacancies, 4 pending recruitments). Annual budget: $13M ($12M general fund, $1M LEA). Six sections: management, administration, local enforcement agency, building code, land use zoning, and short-term rental occupancy (STRO). STRO team has processed over 1,000 complaints since May 2023, with 450 active cases. Highest complaint areas: districts 1, 2, 3. Frequent issues: unlicensed rentals, improper tier designation. Substandard housing is the top priority. The division partners with the City Attorney's nuisance abatement unit.
- Public Comments: Joyce Sanyata praised the division's work and appreciated the progress on vacancies. The Original criticized enforcement as overreach and argued it burdens homeowners.
- Discussion: Councilmember Whitburn asked about the referral process to the City Attorney; Sennett explained biweekly meetings and escalation for substandard housing. Council President Rivera thanked the division for work in the College area. Chair Campbell noted high caseloads (130 per inspector) and asked about ideal ratios; Sennett said they aim to provide KPIs. Campbell expressed support for additional resources.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Committee actions of October 5, 2023 (3-0); Joint use agreements with San Diego Unified School District (unanimous); Cooperative procurement contract with West Coast Arborists, Inc. (unanimous).
- No votes taken: All other items were informational only.
- Directives: Staff will continue to update the committee on the child care pilot, special events ordinance revision, and enforcement metrics. The committee expressed support for continued funding and additional staffing for enforcement.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Welcome to the Community Neighborhood Services Committee meeting of November 2nd, 2023. Committee liaison Natalie Kessler will provide information and instruction. 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 Councilmember Whitburn. And Councilmember Raul Campillo will be absent from today's meeting. But also attending today's meeting is Chris Ackerman of Via with the Mayor's Office. And Kieran Lee with City Attorney's Office. And Natalie, please continue with public comment instructions. If you're 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 lectern at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Come up to the reserve seats at the front of the room when your name is called and be prepared to come up to the lectern in the order called. Members of the public can join the webinar by tablet, computer, 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 dial 1669-2545252. When prompted, input webinar ID 160-990-0498 pound. This information is also available on the agenda. Please note that if you are 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. When I introduce the item you would like to comment on, please raise your hand by either tapping the raise your hand button on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, or by pressing star nine on your phone. You'll be taken in the order in which you raise your hand. When it is your turn to speak, you will receive a pop-up notice to select to unmute your device. And if you've called in, please press star six on your phone to unmute yourself. We will review these instructions briefly again when the public comment period on an item is open. Chair. Thank you. A quorum is now present, and so we will proceed with approval of the committee actions of October 5th, 2023. Natalie, please proceed. Thank you, Chair. The public comment period for the committee actions is now open. And if you've joined the Zoom webinar online or by phone and wish to comment on the past committee actions, please raise your hand at this time. And you will have one minute. Chair, we do currently have two callers in the virtual queue, so I'll begin the five-minute timer for all callers in the virtual queue who wish to raise their hand at this time. Our first caller is the original. Please provide your comments. Yeah, uh, the grand jury report for the bathrooms is nice and all, but there was no real plans to, you know, provide any. It was more plans to get other incentivize others to provide the bathrooms, and that's something that there's you know, plenty of money that could be found that could be providing these things. Um, and then the sidewalk vending um and expressive activities. Um, the problem is is that we're sitting here and you know, trying to even get you know, kids doing a lemonade stand to um, you know, get a permit and stuff like that. And it's really sad because this is taking away people's opportunity to make money because you guys want to get your hands on you know what they're making. And that's what's so sad is that you know, we're constantly um there's so much governmental overreach, um, and it really impedes on people's ability to thrive in the community um instead of you know doing things to help them thrive, where you know, putting up block barriers and blockers so that they aren't able to do that. And it's sad. Thank you. This does conclude your time. And our next speaker is Blair Beekman. Please provide your comments. I uh Blair Beekman. Uh item three on on the October meeting was about uh downtown area public restrooms.
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