Community Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting Approves FY2025 Recreation Funds and MAD Reports on May 9, 2024
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Community Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – May 9, 2024
The Community Neighborhood Services Committee of the San Diego City Council met on Thursday, May 9, 2024, to consider the fiscal year 2025 recreation center fund budgets, the opportunity fund allocation, the recreation equity report, and annual reports for maintenance assessment districts (MADs) overseen by the Parks and Recreation and Economic Development departments. The meeting began with approval of prior minutes and included extensive public testimony on a range of topics before committee members voted unanimously on all agenda items.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the April 11, 2024 meeting after no public comment was offered.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non‑Agenda Public Comment (in‑person and virtual):
- Perita Javier and Cesar Javier, residents from Streamview Drive, Limona Avenue, and Lee Street (District 9), raised concerns about a home‑occupation pottery and ceramics business operating since 1984 in a residential zone. They claimed the kiln releases toxic gases (lead, silica, asbestos) that cause health issues and stated they had been redirected from District 4 to District 9 and from a commission hearing to the committee.
- Joyce Sunyata (District 3) praised a “proactive, not reactive” community spirit, noted improved alignment of petty cabs, questioned a large billboard near the Gaslamp trolley stop, and promoted a robotics and drone event at San Carlos Library on May 18, 2024.
- Kathleen Lippett opposed the city’s marijuana equity program, arguing it normalizes drug use among youth and diverts resources from parks and youth programs. She claimed the state is reducing equity business funding and that a cost analysis would have shown the program is not worthwhile.
- Terry Ann Skelly also opposed marijuana businesses, advocating instead for parks and recreation funding as true social equity.
- Terry Best (District 3) questioned how drug prevention dollars are spent, suggesting they may be used to lobby against cannabis regulations rather than educate youth about fentanyl, and called for ending the school‑to‑prison pipeline.
- Layla Aziz praised Parks After Dark programs but criticized the city’s flood response, asking for an audit of why Southcrest and other recreation centers were not opened as hubs. She also questioned why Martin Luther King and Candle Recreation Centers did not receive opportunity funds.
- Judy Strang spoke in support of parks, sharing positive childhood memories of community centers and thanking the committee for its decisions.
- Public Comment on Item 1 (FY2025 recreation funds):
- Joyce Sunyata expressed strong support for expanding recreation center funds regardless of where collected to promote equity, and thanked staff for the audit update.
- Layla Aziz again asked why her local rec centers were excluded from opportunity funds and noted that a flood survivor organizer is charged $60/week to use a rec center space.
- Kathleen Lippett praised the presentation on parks and rec as the “best news” from the city, highlighting the focus on youth programming and health.
- Public Comment on Items 2 & 3 (MAD annual reports):
- Joyce Sunyata (“Joy Sunyata”) said she is “mad about maintenance” and thanked staff for community engagement.
- Benjamin Nichols, Executive Director of the Hillcrest Business Association, spoke in support of the Economic Development MAD program, noting that every dollar invested leverages $11 in services, and highlighted sidewalk pressure washing, trash can services, tree trimming, security, and maintenance of the Hillcrest sign.
- Kathleen Lippett (on Item 3) thanked Councilmember Von Wilpert for recognizing that prevention is cheaper than crisis management, citing deferred flood channel maintenance that cost $1.6 billion.
Discussion Items
- Item 1: Fiscal Year 2025 Recreation Center Fund Budget, Opportunity Fund Budget, and 2024 Recreation Equity Report
- Sarah Irazzo (Deputy Director of Citywide Recreation Services) and Salome Martinez (Program Equity Manager) presented. The proposed FY2025 budget for all recreation center funds totals just over $6.7 million, with projected revenues of $4.5 million from program registration and permits. The Opportunity Fund has $375,000 available for allocation, up from $84,000 the prior year. The fund will support 10 recreation centers (previously 6) with up to $50,000 each, plus a smaller amount for City Heights. Two new funds were requested for Bay Terraces Community Park & Senior Center and East Village Green Recreation Center; the Dusty Roads fund will be folded into Ocean Beach.
- The equity report highlighted the “Come Play Outside” summer program: 448,728 total participants in 2023, impacting over 98,000 youth, seniors, and adults since inception. Parks After Dark events at four sites in communities of concern drew 32,000 participants over eight weeks, with 17,000 meals, 14,000 desserts, and fresh produce distributed. The department held 11 vendor fairs to onboard contract service providers. The Park Ambassador Leader Academy had 25 participants per session. The department faces a 17.7% vacancy rate and continues recruitment and retention efforts. An audit (22‑005) found the department lacks resources for a data‑driven equity approach; implementing its 16 recommendations would require an estimated $671,000 for staffing and $1.7 million to reduce disparities in recreation center funds.
- Items 2 & 3: Fiscal Year 2025 Maintenance Assessment District Annual Reports (Parks and Recreation Department and Economic Development Department)
- Michael Jones (Assistant Deputy Director, Parks and Recreation) and Rhea Aguinaldo (Small Business Engagement Specialist, Economic Development) presented jointly. San Diego has 65 maintenance assessment districts: 55 overseen by Parks and Recreation (53 city‑managed, 2 self‑managed) and 10 by Economic Development (with 7 also managing business improvement districts). Assessment Engineer Reports (AERs) govern each district. This year there is a $234,000 discrepancy in the general fund contribution from the Parks and Recreation Open Space Division that will be corrected in FY2025. Staff described ongoing community engagement, notification of assessment increases, and the use of CPI‑U adjustment in some districts (e.g., Bay Terraces Parkside).
- Committee members asked about landscaping contract concerns (Rancho Bernardo MAD), conversion of concrete medians to landscape (requires district‑specific AER provisions), and the impact of planning group mergers (none).
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: The committee unanimously adopted a motion (moved by Councilmember Von Wilpert, seconded by Councilmember Campillo) to approve staff recommendations, including creating new recreation center funds for Bay Terraces and East Village Green, closing the Dusty Roads fund and transferring its balance to Ocean Beach, appropriating and expending recreation center funds in FY2025, and authorizing the Treasurer to transfer opportunity funds to identified recreation centers. The motion passed 5‑0.
- Item 2: The committee unanimously approved the FY2025 annual reports for Parks and Recreation Maintenance Assessment Districts (moved by Councilmember Campillo, seconded by Councilmember Von Wilpert). Passed 5‑0.
- Item 3: The committee unanimously approved the FY2025 annual reports for Economic Development Maintenance Assessment Districts (moved by Councilmember Campillo, seconded by Councilmember Foster). Passed 5‑0.
- Next Meeting: The committee will next meet on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Who is the leader of the downtown San Diego Partnership as well as Steve Cushman, uh local uh civic leader. Addressing homelessness is the number one priority. The committee lays on Natalie Kessler will provide information and instruction. Thank you, Chair. 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. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair. Thank you, Natalie. I will now call the community neighborhood services committee meeting of Thursday, May 9th, 2024 to order. And I will now call the roll. Vice Chair von Wilpert. Councilmember Foster. President. Councilmember Campillo. Here. And I am also present. Also attending our meeting is Coda Seiser from the Mayor's Office. Kieran Lee with the City Attorney's Office. Natalie, please continue with public 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 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. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins, and 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 dial 16692545252 when prompted. 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. If you've called in, please press star six on your phone to unmute yourself. And we will review these instructions briefly again when the public comment period on an item is open. Chair. Thank you, Natalie. Quorum is now present. And we will now dispense with the approval of the committee minutes of April 11th, 2024. Natalie, please proceed. Thank you, Chair. The public comment period for the past committee minutes is now open. If you've joined the Zoom orbiter online and have comments on the past committee minutes, please indicate so at this time. And Chair, we have not received any speaker slips in chambers, nor are there any hands raised in the virtual queue. So this will conclude public comment on the past committee minutes. Thank you. We will now vote on the approval of the committee minute. Uh do I have a motion to approve the minutes? Thank you. Thank you. I have a motion from Councilmember Campillo and a second by Councilmember Von Wilpert. And so we will now take the vote on the voting screen.
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