Community and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting - April 24, 2025
Community and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting - April 24, 2025
The Community and Neighborhood Services Committee met on April 24, 2025, to consider the allocation of SeaWorld settlement funds for park improvement projects and a new brush management services contract. The meeting also included non-agenda public comment. Committee members present: Chair Campbell and Councilmember Foster; Committee Member Campio was absent.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the committee minutes from March 19, 2025. Passed 2-0 with Campio absent.
Discussion Items
Item 2: Allocation of SeaWorld Settlement Funds to Projects within Mission Bay Park and Regional Park Improvement Funds
- Staff presented an $8.5 million settlement from SeaWorld for past rent, with 65% ($5.5 million) allocated to Mission Bay and 35% ($2.9 million) to Regional Parks. After adjusting for revenue changes, the amounts were revised to $5.2 million (Mission Bay) and $2.7 million (Regional Parks). The Mission Bay Oversight Committee approved $4.6 million, excluding $600,000 for South Shores GDP due to environmental concerns. Staff requested approval of the $4.6 million for Mission Bay projects and $2.7 million for Regional Park projects.
- Public comment: Caesar Javier criticized the process as corruption and urged prioritization of homelessness and air quality. Savannah Stallings requested the $600,000 be allocated to wetland restoration, citing charter priorities. A virtual speaker supported the settlement.
- Motion by Councilmember Foster, seconded by Chair Campbell, to accept staff's proposal. Passed 2-0.
Item 3: Authorization to Enter into an As-Needed Citywide Agreement with Aztec Landscaping Incorporated for Brush Management Services
- Staff presented the need for a new five-year contract (current expires June 30, 2025) with an annual cost of $5 million and total not to exceed $25,266,645.50. The contract covers approximately 925 acres of brush management on city-owned land adjacent to private property.
- Public comment: Caesar Javier questioned why the work could not be done by city crews and called the process corruption. A virtual speaker supported the contract but noted the cost was high.
- Councilmember Foster requested a list of District 4 areas to be serviced and raised concerns about Aztec's hiring practices. Motion by Councilmember Foster, seconded by Chair Campbell, to approve staff's recommendation. Passed 2-0.
Non-Agenda Public Comment
- Caesar Javier and Parita Javier complained about a ceramics manufacturing business operating in a residential zone, alleging air pollution and health risks. They urged the city to address the issue.
- Becky Rapp (planning group member, public health educator) advocated for smoke-free housing policies, citing health risks of secondhand smoke, and suggested starting with Skyline Apartments in Rancho Bernardo.
- Madison spoke about youth exposure to marijuana advertising on social media, calling for stricter enforcement of age restrictions.
- A virtual caller (phone ending in 8700) praised police community partnerships and the downtown police patrol pilot program.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved.
- Item 2: Staff's proposal for allocation of SeaWorld settlement funds (excluding $600,000 for South Shores) approved 2-0. The $600,000 remains in fund balance pending further study.
- Item 3: Contract with Aztec Landscaping for brush management services approved 2-0.
- Items 4 and 5 were returned to staff due to scheduling.
- Next regularly scheduled meeting: Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 2:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, we're we've been waiting for one member who isn't here yet, but we are going to go ahead and start. Good morning, and welcome to the community and neighborhood services committee meeting of April 24th, 2025. Our committee liaison, 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 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. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 16692545252. When prompted, the webinar ID is one six one, six eight six five one one nine pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you are watching via City TV channel 24 or online, there may be a delay. So 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 our 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 if you are a call in participant, press star nine on your cell phone or landline. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Does anyone have any? Hearing none, we will continue. And do we have any requests for continuance of the items? Hearing none, uh, I would like to announce for the public's awareness that due to scheduling purposes, we are returning items four and five to staff. And also non-agenda public comment will be taken after item three today. We will now uh dispense with our approval of the consent agenda. And Natalie, please proceed with any public comment on the consent agenda, which consists of our minutes from previously. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. The public comment period for the consent agenda is now open, and the consent agenda includes item one approval of the committee minutes from March 19th, 2025. And we have received one speaker slip from an individual in the committee room to speak on the consent agenda. Caesar Javier, please approach the lector, and you'll have one minute to speak to item one. Caesar Javier, good morning. This are the unintended consequence, which we empathically excitedly know learn. Yes, we attend this uh school. This city is born of the grassroots we call community. And in this minute, yes, their time is lucking of uh you know knowing on the heavy stop crisis. We have declared crisis and diminishes anemic. Thank you for that concluding statement. Thank you. Please does conclude your time. And Chair, this will conclude public comment on the consent agenda. Thank you. And uh I will now ask committee members for any questions or comments and entertain a motion on the consent agenda. So moved. Thank you. We have a motion by council member Foster, and I will second the motion. We will now take the vote using the voting screen. Thank you. And the motion to approve the consent agenda passes to zero with committee member Campio absent. Thank you. We will now take up our discussion agenda. So Natalie, please introduce item two. Item two, allocation of SeaWorld settlement funds to projects within the Mission Bay Park and Regional Park Improvement Funds.
openpublica.com