Community and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting - February 19, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Community and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – February 19, 2025
The Community and Neighborhood Services Committee met on February 19, 2025, to consider a consent agenda, receive presentations on the Parks Opportunity Fund and the Joint Use Program with School Districts, and adopt the 2025 work plan. Public testimony was heard on a wide range of topics including park funding, youth services, marijuana advertising, and immigration policy.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: Approval of committee minutes from January 29, 2025.
- Item 2: Acceptance of a $3.89 million Transformative Climate Communities Program grant for Boston Avenue Linear Park in Barrio Logan (CIP P-2205).
- Item 3: Approval of a stormwater joint use agreement with Delmar Union School District for Pacific Sky Elementary School.
- All items were approved unanimously (3-0) without discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
Non-Agenda Public Comments:
- Cesar Javier (District 9) raised concerns about toxicity, traffic mitigation, cleaning Chollas Creek, encampments, and the need for funding for the City Heights New Roots public garden and a promised theme center near a substation.
- Joyce (District 3) commended operational efficiency changes and requested a budget presentation on the equity department merger with Human Resources. She also urged citywide communication for low-income communities.
- Courtney Baltiski (YMCA of San Diego County / Children First Collective) applauded past work but expressed concern that the Office of Child and Youth, moved under the Library Department, could lose its strategic momentum; she noted it had a modest but effective budget.
- Blair Beekman discussed tech placement issues, advocated for improved exigent circumstances oversight, and requested that public comment time be extended to 90 seconds instead of 1 minute.
- A speaker (original DRA) strongly criticized city immigration policies, alleging complicity in crimes including a rape of a child by an undocumented individual, and warned the city could lose federal funding.
- Megan Stewart urged stronger local restrictions on marijuana advertising to prevent youth exposure, comparing to existing limits on tobacco and alcohol.
- Madison raised concerns about the rapid growth of cannabis and vaping products, citing data that vapes now account for 25% of cannabis sales and surpassed flower sales among Gen Z for the first time. She warned of health risks and urged the committee to consider long-term implications.
- Judy Strang expressed hope that the Office of Children and Youth Success would not be lost in the library department and requested enforcement of state laws against illegal sales of flavored marijuana products.
Consent Agenda Public Comments:
- Cesar Javier (speaking to items 2 and 3) questioned whether the $3.89 million grant would be properly accounted for and raised concerns that the joint use agreement is not in the master plan, noting potential stormwater issues.
- Joyce (District 3, speaking to items 2 and 3) strongly supported the grant and the joint use agreement, praising the grant’s title “Rooted in Comunidad Cultivating Equity” and the cost-effective stormwater improvements.
- The original DRA (speaking to all consent items) opposed spending on “refugee students,” arguing funds should go to local students, criticized the park grant’s climate goals as harmful, and highlighted the city’s failure to maintain infrastructure.
- Blair Beekman (speaking to items 1-3) thanked the committee for combining school-related items and called for accountability in stormwater and tech placement.
Item 4 – Parks Opportunity Fund:
- Cesar Javier questioned the return on investment and potential waste.
- The original DRA argued that paying to use parks is an additional burden and that equity efforts are inherently inequitable.
- Blair Beekman raised concerns about technology accountability and data collection in parks.
- Joyce praised the report and asked about equity specialists across departments.
- Hans Christian requested routine maintenance and a bathroom at Bird Rock Elementary Neighborhood Park.
Item 5 – Joint Use Program:
- Cesar Javier asked for justification of costs and intangible returns.
- Joyce expressed support for the Play All Day program but raised funding concerns.
- The original DRA argued that joint use perpetuates inequity between schools.
Item 6 – 2025 CNS Work Plan:
- Cesar Javier spoke about corruption and dreams of clean air and water.
- Joyce requested attention to code enforcement and the FTR (trash fee).
- Blair Beekman addressed volunteer programs and permitting for older licenses.
- The original DRA criticized the committee for cutting off speakers and urged more transparent communication and emergency preparedness town halls.
Discussion Items
Item 4 – Comprehensive Report of the Parks and Recreation Department Opportunity Fund
- Sarah Irazzo (Deputy Director) and Mia Salome Martinez (Program Equity Manager) presented. The fund, established in July 2022 from permit fees on outdoor events, sports leagues, and building rentals, collected $427,000 in its first fiscal year (FY24) against a projection of $1 million. Funding is allocated based on an objective scoring matrix that prioritizes recreation centers with low fund balances and those located in communities of concern.
- In FY24, $400,000 was allocated to six centers: Azalea, Caesar Solis, Mountain View, Penn Athletic Field, Skyline Hills, and Stockton. Programs included winter snow days, summer camps, field trips, skate camps, robotics, cooking classes, and more, resulting in 2,000 new program participants and over 5,000 attendees.
- In FY25, allocations increased to $850,000 per site for 11 centers: Azalea, Bay Terrace, Caesar Solis, Stockton, Willie Henderson, Mountain View, Colina del Sol, Parque de la Cruz, Skyline Hills, South Crest, and City Heights.
- A 19.5% fee increase coming before Council will add an estimated $80,000 for FY26.
- Community input is gathered through community recreation groups, surveys, and special events. An evaluation committee of cross-divisional staff scores proposals. A community needs assessment will launch spring 2025.
- Councilmember Foster asked about community engagement and composition of the evaluation committee. Staff explained that on-site staff and area managers incorporate community feedback into proposals. Foster also expressed concern about park maintenance (e.g., Mountain View courts) and requested scoring data for all parks. Staff noted that major maintenance issues fall under capital improvement projects.
Item 5 – Joint Use Program with School Districts 2024 Annual Update
- Shannon Scoggins (Landscape Architect) presented. The city partners with 8 school districts, operating 105 joint use facilities (94 with San Diego Unified), providing over 400 acres of recreational space. In 2024, four new facilities opened: Claremont Canyons Academy, Emerson Elementary, Spreckles Elementary, and Wagenheim Middle/Walker Elementary Complex.
- Since 2016, 27 new or expanded facilities have opened via the Play All Day program. Currently, 10 are under construction, 4 in design, and 2 in public input. Of the 100 agreements with San Diego Unified, 68 have been updated to the new template; 32 remain. For FY25, the department added four facilities, two FTEs, and $338,000 in ongoing expenses. FY26 will add an estimated two facilities, one FTE, and $147,000.
- Challenges include a lack of capital improvement bonds in other school districts. Councilmember Campillo thanked staff and noted high usage in District 7. Chair Campbell clarified that the program allows public access to school fields during non-school hours.
Item 6 – 2025 CNS Work Plan
- Chair Campbell presented the work plan, developed from prior committee and public input. Topics include: updates on park ranger enforcement for sidewalk vending, the Chollas Creek Watershed Regional Park Master Plan, and a report from the Veterans Engagement Program Coordinator. The work plan will be posted on the city website after committee approval. No vote was required.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda approved unanimously (3-0).
- Items 4, 5, and 6 were received as information items; no votes were taken.
- The next regular committee meeting is scheduled for March 19, 2025, at 2:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon and welcome to the community and neighborhood services committee meeting of February 19th, 2025. Our committee layers on Natalie Kessler will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. Thank you, Chair. While members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual key 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. And I am also present. And also present today with us is Sergiel Alcalde from the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst. Jane Boardman from the Office of the City Attorney. Emily Piatanesi, policy advisor with the Office of Mayor Todd Gloria. Lizelle Gloria, committee consultant, and Natalie Kessler, committee layers on. Natalie, please continue with public comment instructions. I will now go over how the public can offer public testimony during today's meeting. If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it in the tray indicated at the front of the room. Please submit your speaker slip in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. 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 listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. To join the Zoom webinar by phone, please dial 16692545252. When prompted, the webinar ID is 16165119 pound. And please note that if you're watching via City TV channel 24 or online, there may be a delay. Please approach the elector, and you'll each have two minutes. Number one, California land use and planning law on the use of land are variants with explains that no project and allowed permitted unless in accord with health, safety, and public welfare, no special privilege. Number two, California environment and land use laws on news funds, number three, city of San Diego, home occupation ruling of July 2020 on new sons. Supervisor Rosales, City Treasurer office declared that her office collects fees and has no regulatory authority. Applicant of the business fills up the form and pay. In parentheses, city code enforcement. Thank you. Caesar Javier. We have a petition with the support of our neighbors. We gave this list already. Toxicity is our number one issue in the community, mom. And thank you. You are present. The governing board. I was not only delighted, was inspired. You will observe how the uh position of uh Council Rivera and the mayor was supposed to be, you know, in action, but they were sleeping and upset, by the way. Number two, ishimam is traffic mitigation. We requested this three years ago. There were some 25 uh cars damaged already, and we are praying no human uh fatalities yet. October 8th, 2022. We had four cars right in our uh residence. We give this to the police. We give this to the engineering. They said you wait for three years. Number three is we would like to have a clean up the Cholas Creek. It's a breeding mosquito and the encampment of uh uh homeless people. Develop the world-class city heights new route public garden. This was a propaganda worldwide, and the city heights are very proud.
openpublica.com