Jordan will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting.

Sarah.

Thank you, Chair Campbell.

While members of the public are able to attend the meeting 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.

This 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 Campbell.

Thank you, Sarah.

I'll now call the community neighborhood services committee meeting for today, September 17, 2025, to order, and I'll call the roll.

And I am also here, Chair of this committee.

Also present today with us is Sergio Alcalde with the Office of Independent Budget Analyst, Jane Boardman with the Office of the City Attorney, and Emily Pietanesi of the Office of Mayor Todd Gloria.

Liesel Gloria, our committee consultant, is here along with Sarah Jordan, our committee a liaison.

Please, Sarah, continue with public comment instructions.

Thank you, Chair.

I will now go over the how the public can offer their public testimony during today's meeting.

If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it on the tray indicated in 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.

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 1669-2545252.

And when prompted, input webinar ID 161-686-5119 pound.

Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be 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 to a particular item, please wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you're calling participant, by pressing star nine on your cell phone or landline.

If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered.

Thank you, Sarah.

A quorum is now present, and we will now take up non-agenda public comment.

Council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings.

Per rule two point seven, non-agenda public comment is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of this committee.

Each speaker will have two minutes to provide non-agenda public comment.

We have two slips here in chambers, so we'll begin with in-person testimony.

Parita Javier and Cesar Javier, if you can please approach the lectern.

Yes, sir, please.

Read it, please.

Good afternoon.

I am Purita Javier, senior victim of ceramic stoxicity in the residential zone communities since 1984.

This is our periodical threat to our health and safety.

Second, highly possible home invasion from the last 14th occurrence.

Three fast moving traffic, our request for basic bomb for two sites since 2022 was never addressed despite D9 stuff premises.

Four open city street connecting Boys Street to Altadino for responders at shortcut for people going to schools.

From Choyas Creek.

Seven allow farmers in proximate neighborhood to farm out new roots, CDC.

Eight, we need protective walls from radiation of SDGE substation.

Line residents.

Anyhow, we are concerned, citizen, and we will help you solve the Tijuana River issue, ma'am.

You see that uh black liquid there, that's the contaminant coming from the outlet from the upstream site.

And the solution is let's put it down, sandbags.

Let's pour clean water.

Clean water that this being chaired by Mr.

Serrano from the city of San Diego.

Uh he should be listening here.

We need water to clean water, which are contaminated.

Clean it.

And pump this out and bring it to treatment plant.

For the contaminated soil, we dig up.

Say one meter dip, depending on the condition.

Hold it.

And bring it to the landfill.

For the coastal and uh that's our solution.

Thank you for that concluding remark that concludes public testimony here in chamber.

So I will begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to provide non-agenda public comment.

We currently have seven hands in the queue.

We'll begin with phone number ending in 870.

You can unmute by pressing star six, and you will have two minutes.

Joyce and Yatta District 3.

Quickly, uh, Chair Dr.

Campbell.

I uh took you up on your recommendation, and I reviewed the trans history, and Google took me back.

I didn't ask it to, but Google took me all the way back, I believe, to 7,000 BCE, and it went forward all the way to our present date.

It was an amazing experience.

And I did read about the Stonewall uh riots.

So I want to tell the public uh be sure and and do that historical look.

It's really eye-opening.

So uh thank you so much, uh, Dr.

Chair Dr.

Campbell.

Okay, here's my topic.

It's uh the aging population.

Is San Diego an age-friendly city?

Are there enough efforts to foster social participation, which is considered the most positive component of an older adult's quality of life?

California must be age-friendly because as of 2020, California had 1,488 people, 105 plus years old by far and away the best of the 52 states.

New York, number two with 956, Florida number three with 853.

Older adults are our fastest growing age group in San Diego, and sadly, it is said that they are our fastest growing homeless population, too.

What are we missing here?

Is there any way to implement more prevention?

Do our current policies address these demographics?

I continue to recommend my three Ps, which I introduced about five years at the board housing commission board.

Thank you.

This does conclude your time.

Thank you for your comment.

Thank you, Sarah.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is the original.

Please unmute and begin.

You will have two minutes.

What the city is doing to the people is beyond egregious.

It is so sad to see that you guys can continue to increase the cost of living at astronomical rates.

The services are lacking, yet you give raises and blame others for the problems that you create.

In fact, you go after corporations, um, you know, and trying to enforce them to, you know, make up for, you know, trying to keep people trying to keep up with the increase in all the fees and the taxes and you know, parking and whatever it is, like you're just bringing in more and more um increases in the cost of living, and then you know, trying to blame others for their pay not making up for that.

And there's no way to keep up for it when it happens at every time.

Basically, the city comes forward and has a city council meeting, you are increasing something.

And so there is no way for any kind of business to keep up with that and make sure that they're paying their employees a rate that is going to, you know, be suffice to make sure that you know they keep up with it.

And it's sad because you know, you can you exploit all of the you know vulnerable populations, whether it's homeless or even animals, you know, children, the elderly, even the immigration population, because you know, you're talking about corporate greed, and you you know, are you know implementing an ordinance to make sure that corporations are paying their employees more, but at the same rate, those people don't see that you're just gonna take that money in another fee or tax or whatever it is that's coming down the pipe or pike, whatever you want to call it.

So, you know, it's just interesting that it's so evident to many, many people, but many other people don't see it, and they thank you for basically putting them into a you know indentured servitude where they're just gonna always be in this you know hamster wheel working just to give the government back money to not provide anything in return.

Thank you for your concluding remark.

Our next speaker is Peggy Walker.

Please unmute and begin.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I've become acutely aware of the problems of drifting smoke and marijuana vapor and multi-unit housing through young people in my youth group and their families, many from vulnerable communities.

I want to give you some examples.

The family of one teenage girl, and it's Matic has had to move several times because drifting smoke triggers her asthma.

She said her ER visits have become so frequent.

Staff now knows her by name.

In another situation, an elderly woman with severe allergies complained of drifting tobacco smoke and marijuana vapor coming from the manager's apartment below her.

The manager denied it despite overwhelming evidence.

The owner failed to take action, and the tenant is now reluctantly moving out of town to someplace she can afford.

Smoking is not a right, but breathing clean air certainly should be.

Many of these tenants are afraid to speak out for fear of losing their rentals, and they do not know where they go.

Meanwhile, multiple studies demonstrate the harms that they experience from drifting secondhand smoke, vapor, and third-hand smoke residue.

Citywide smoke-free MUH policy will positively impact those suffering the ill effects of drifting smoke and vapor in our communities.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The five-minute timer has concluded.

We have six hands remaining in the queue, and we'll take no other callers beyond these remaining six individuals.

Becky Rapp, please unmute and begin.

Good afternoon, community and neighborhood services committee.

A concern I've brought up in the past, which is the high potency hemp derived products sold um in our neighborhoods and in our communities.

In September of 2024, a year ago, the state of California issued emergency regulations banning these hemp derived products that contain any detectable levels of THC.

The state is currently working to make this ban permanent, but the temporary regulation does expire soon.

We cannot afford to wait on Sacramento.

And in my own community, residents are very concerned.

We currently have two smoke shops actively selling these highly intoxicating hemp products, despite the warnings.

These products are often packaged to look like candy or soda, creating a direct risk for children.

By creating our own policy, the city can better enforce, require accurate labeling, age restrictions, and it would also give the city tools for accountability.

Retailers who ignore warnings should face real consequences.

And by acting locally, San Diego can set a stronger standard of safety and safeguard our children from these mislabeled and dangerous products.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Blair Beekman.

Please unmute and begin.

You will have two minutes.

All right.

Blair Beakman.

My Zoom's been acting funny.

I hope my connection can be okay today.

I wanted to try to uh speak to what I kind of spoke to yesterday and my Zoom was coming out.

Um I just wanted to thank yourself with council here in the fall.

Um we council and community worked really hard in the spring and summer on certain uh budget issues and issues of equity, how to really develop and save certain practices.

So it was a it was a fight we were all a part of, and it was really a good feeling.

Um the ADU issues that was another example of man, uh everyone coming together and working really well.

City council working on uh coupons for uh at uh large grocery stores, making that available and easier in the future accessible.

Um, so there is good work, really good work that council is doing, and and thank you for that.

With the traffic issues and with the parking issues, uh it's been more difficult.

And uh parts of the community have been really bitter and sore.

And um, I don't know what to say.

Uh when when things are not going when it's a put pull back and forth fight.

Um compromise is really important uh with the parking issues.

Um, you know, uh staff wanted it to be uh uh starting in early October.

Council put it back to you know six months from now.

That's good compromise.

Um currently it the uh pricing items are about five to six to eight bucks, you know, for the different tiered levels uh and even more.

Why not talk about five for uh levels to be at $2, $5 and $6 all together?

Having those kind of fights.

Um the same with uh the trash cans.

There's the RFID uh tech equipment on there.

We can fight for good open policies with that check.

It's those kind of things and working together.

Uh good luck we can be doing that as a city uh in the fall.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Terry Ann Skelly.

Please unmute and begin.

Good afternoon, community and neighborhood services committee chair Campbell.

I volunteer our many youth projects in the city, especially products involving promoting good health choices.

I came today to respectfully request your support for a smoke-free public places ordinance.

As the American Cancer Society states, and I quote, our smoke-free laws are popular because they work.

We must must not forget or minimize the pivotal role they've played in slashing smoking rates and bringing overall tobacco use to historically low levels in California.

End quote.

A cultural shift has occurred regarding the harms of tobacco use as well as secondhand smoking.

Creating safe smoke-free environments reduces tobacco-related health inequities, and it will go a long way to reduce the effects of the for-profit marijuana industry.

The American Cancer Association reminds us that I quote, smoke is smoke, end quote.

As California boldly forged the past to protect everyone from the dangers of secondhand smoke when it became the first state to prohibit smoking in almost every indoor public space.

So we can also do the same with the smoke-free outdoor public places ordinance, beginning with our large cities.

Perhaps the community and neighborhood services committee could do the same as well.

Thank you for hearing my concerns this afternoon.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Francine Maxwell.

Please unmute and begin.

You will have two minutes.

Can you hear me?

We can hear you, please proceed.

Thank you.

Francine Maxwell, Southeastern San Diego resident.

I see that the deputy COO is in the chamber.

And if you could be so kind as to attend the special Encanto Rec meeting tomorrow, where the Parks Foundation is going to present a quite a good donation.

But the children in our community, child and youth uh plan, it doesn't fit.

Our children has um have demands of things that they like to see in their community, and they already have a skate park that's two miles away.

We have community members that don't know what CIP stands for.

And so we need someone from the deputy COO's office to come and explain the park and rec department to explain to the community that you've cut our maintenance workers.

So to build a skate park, we would need more maintenance.

We have graffiti that would come with the skate park.

We have drinking that comes with the skate park.

So we need the other side to come and educate the community that have gone uneducated for decades in District 4 on what their rights are and how things are done at City Hall.

So we need a city hall one-on-one tomorrow because the money comes with the time limit.

And so it's not going to be a CIP project, it's going to be a right of entry.

And the Parks Foundation as the fiscal agent, we appreciate the Parks Foundation and the way that they partner with the city to do resurfacing and this, that, and the other.

Why not let the Parks Foundation come and see what the Encanto community has asked for?

Mike Ivory be there.

Mike Ivory has been asking for things for decades.

So again, Deputy COO, we would love to have your presence or if you would send a staffer tomorrow, 6 p.m.

and Canto Recreation Center for this special call meeting for a presentation of a wonderful amount of money from someone.

And we also have money from San Diego Foundation as well.

But again, the community doesn't understand the simple processes at the city of San Diego, and it would be nice if somebody would educate us.

Thank you.

Judy Strang, please unmute and begin.

You will have two minutes.

Good afternoon, community and neighborhood services.

Thank you, Chair Campbell, and thank you, City Council person Foster.

The two of you are holding down the fort, and it does not go unnoticed by the public.

In a little while in this meeting, you're going to be hearing from the kind of a new project you've undertaken, the Office of Child and Youth Success.

And when I was reading it, there was some language there that propelled me to non-agenda public comment.

Many of the statements began with the word safe.

Things that you wanted to provide to the children and youth of San Diego so that they could thrive and feel successful.

But the statements all said safe.

And then it had other adjectives as well, but safe.

And I've been speculating on what safe means for our children and young people.

Several people have mentioned some policies that would make our neighborhoods and larger community much safer regarding smoke-free and vape-free laws.

I realize that this committee and two city council people's staff are way overworked, and taking on an ordinance must seem daunting.

But think about it when you think about what you want for your youth.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if it was smoke-free in our city in all our public places?

Could you think of anything that would make it feel safer?

Something to consider as you have that responsibility for this committee.

Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony.

And the final speaker in the queue is Madison.

Please unmute and begin.

Hi, thank you.

Good afternoon.

Um today I just wanted to raise some awareness about a concern about the harms of marijuana and hemp-derived THC products like Delta 8, which are being sold without age limits.

The 2018 Farm Bill unintentionally created a loophole that legalized these hemp derived THC products.

They are not harmless, they're addictive, psychoactive, and linked to serious mental health risks, including anxiety, depression, and even psychosis.

Unlike marijuana, from regulated dispensaries, T Delta 8 is sold in gas stations and convenience stores, often packaged as gummies and candies that appeal directly to kids.

The consequences have been real since 2021.

More than 10,000 Americans have been poisoned by Delta 8.

And in 2022, a four-year-old child in Virginia died after eating Delta 8 gummies.

While closing this loophole is a federal issue, San Diego leaders can play a vital role by educating parents and schools about the risks, supporting prevention programs for teens, and advocating at the state and federal levels for stronger protections.

My ask today is simple.

Use your leadership to raise awareness and help protect San Diego's young people from these dangerous unregulated products.

Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony.

And chair with no other hands in the queue.

This concludes non-agenda public comment.

Thank you so much.

And we'll now move to committee members, mayor staff, city attorney, IBA for any comment.

Do we have any?

No, not at this time.

And do we have any requests for continuance?

Hearing none, we will now dispense with our approval of the consent agenda.

And uh I don't believe do I have any request to pull an item from the consent agenda.

Hearing none, uh Sarah, please proceed with any public comment on the consent agenda, which today is the approval of the committee minutes from July 16, 2025.

Thank you, Chair.

We have received two speaker slips here in chambers.

Cesar Javier, if you will please approach the lecture, and you have been seated time by Parita Javier, so you will have two minutes on the clock to manage.

Thank you, Uncle Sam.

The minutes of your time reflected problems and solutions, such as on environment.

Our shell man, his shelter society, mobility transportation.

Good better best.

All about planning, organizing, implementing.

We don't have minutes last August.

We did not work despite the crisis being heralded regionwide by Nora Burgess, our regional leadership.

We see homelessness in the minutes, and how the city has resolved to accomplish to good better best, victims of fire, flood, criminality, air water, land costal air pollution, river body problem.

What are we doing?

Dr.

Campbell.

Morally, this is your number one accountability.

What happened to our people, Sandygans?

I will not raise my voice because my mentor here is it is more effective if you look at their eyes and their souls and destroy them, not by loud voice.

I learned from my mentor.

My fellow San Diegans.

What is the logo there in the city?

It says there.

Shamper Bidilans.

We are watching you, especially this former stuff, district four.

You know, it's not in the minute, but it reminds us in the minutes.

We have the illustration of an artist, Skyland Library, which could have been triggered awareness of Sun Diegans.

Let's wake up.

Thank you for your comment.

I'll begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to provide testimony for item number one.

Each speaker will have one minute.

Blair Beekman, please unmute and begin.

Hi, thank you.

Uh Blair Beekman.

Uh I wanted to speak to the minutes of last time.

Um, I think that was about uh veteran affairs.

Uh you had an item on that agenda about veteran affair issues.

It was an interesting conversation, uh, describing what a group does uh for veteran issues that Trump um has offered previously, he wanted to kind of reject an end, and I hope we're learning to better address that.

Uh good luck in their continued efforts.

And I also wanted to quickly remind uh thank you of for yesterday's meeting and talking about the future of uh wage increases for for uh low-income workers that um it invited conversation for all parts of the issue, all sides of the issue, and that's important.

Uh good luck that we can continue to do that and make that uh understandable conversation for everyone.

Uh it was really interesting, and I want to add that to my public comment today.

Uh thank you.

Thank you for your testimony, and chair saying no other hands in the virtual queue.

This concludes comment for item number one.

Thank you so much.

Uh I'll now turn over to committee members if there are any questions or comments and entertain a motion in regard to approving the consent agenda, which consists of last month's main minutes.

So moved.

Thank you.

Councilmember uh Foster moves and I'll second the approval of the consent agenda.

All in favor by voice vote is please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

That passes unanimously.

All right, and now we will be able to take up our discussion agenda.

And Sarah, please introduce item number two.

Thank you, Chair Campbell.

Item number two, adoption of updated animal services user fee schedule.

If you're watching on TV or the live stream online and you'd like to call into the meeting to speak, please dial 1669-2545252, and when prompted, input webinar ID 161-686-5119 pound.

Chair.

Good afternoon, Dr.

Campbell and Council Member Foster, Deputy Chief Operating Officer Christina Peralta here to introduce the item.

This is Nicole McNeil, our assistant deputy director within the Parks and Rack Direct um department.

This is our first time presenting at council or committee.

So let's all welcome her greatly.

Good afternoon.

Okay, for the proposed adoption of the 2025 animal services user fee schedule.

There are three proposed actions associated with this item, which include adopting a resolution approving the updated animal services fee schedule, authorizing it to take effect on October 1st, 2025, and to continue authorizing SDHS to waive and reduce fees, specifically when the fees pose financial barriers to adoption and pet retention, or when the anticipated cost savings from reducing an animal's length of stay in the shelter exceeds the revenue that would be otherwise generated from fees.

To provide some background on the user fee schedule, its purpose is to fund the provision of goods and services for a specific benefit or service, in this case animal services.

It is governed by City Council Policy 100-05 and exempt from Prop 26.

The fees do not fully recover the cost of services provided to the city.

They are set at a lower and more affordable level to help protect the health and safety of both the public and animals, and they are also set lower as a means of securing compliance with laws and regulations.

The fee schedule is administered under SDHS's 10-year contract, which went into effect on July 1st, 2023.

Within the contract, SDHS is authorized to collect fees for the services in accordance with the fee schedule as approved by City Council.

The contract is structured such that the compensation we provide to SDHS is less than their cost to provide animal services.

SDHS is mission-driven and committed to a high level of service in advancing animal welfare.

The revenue from the fees they collect helps to offset the expense of compensation owed by the city.

Also per the contract, an annual review and recommendation of the fee schedule is required.

The last update went into effect in July 2023.

The fees were evaluated last year and not proposed for adjustment.

Financially, the total annual costs to provide animal services within the city of San Diego, including but not limited to sheltering, adoptions, licensing, field services, and veterinary care, costs SDHS approximately 28 million dollars.

The City of San Diego has allocated 16.7 million for these services in FY26, leaving the current gap at approximately 11.3 million.

Fees help to make up this difference with the shortfall primarily mitigated through philanthropic proceeds, which SDHS relies heavily upon.

There is an expected increase of approximately 275,000 with the update to the fee schedule, which would then bring the fee revenue to approximately 2.975 million.

This chart outlines the proposed changes to the animal services fee schedule.

Here you'll see the fee type and title, the current fee, the proposed updated fee, the total dollar increase, the percentage increase, and for reference, the current fee indexed by the CPI over two years calculated at 8.39%.

The majority of the proposed changes involve adoption and licensing fees, which also represent the largest sources of revenue within the fee schedule.

The fee schedule in total includes 49 different fees for services, and 16 of these 49 fees are proposed for increase, with eight fees increasing by $10 or less, six fees increasing between 15 to 25 dollars, and two fees increasing by 50 dollars.

The percentage increase ranges from 7.1 to 75%.

The wide variation in fee amounts combined with small dollar increases applied to already low cost fees results in higher percentage increases.

Benchmarking was completed with the other regional jurisdictions that provide animal services, and SDHS fees are on the high end.

The other service providers may also have subsidized fees as they include nonprofits, Helen Woodward and Rancho Coastal Humane Society, and municipalities, the City of Chula Vista, and the City of Coronado, and also the County of San Diego, which continues to serve the unincorporated areas.

Inflation was looked at as a factor, and the fees do exceed the CPI over the past two years since the fee was updated.

It's important to note that SDHS provides animal services to 13 other local cities in addition to the city of San Diego.

And the intent is to implement the updated fees schedules simultaneously across all 14 cities they serve to ensure regional consistency and alignment.

The proposed fees do not include an annual CPI adjustment.

The 13 other cities served by SDHS within the county of San Diego include Carlsbad, Del Mar, El Cajon, Ancenitas, Escondido, Aparo Beach, La Mesa, Oceanside, Poway, San Marcos, Santi, Solana Beach, and Vista.

San Diego would be the final city to approve these proposed changes, as all other cities have already approved these proposed fees.

Once approved, SDHS intends to phase in the changes incrementally as needed, depending on operational factors such as demand and also species inventory.

With the continuation of fee waivers, SDHS would continue to reduce or waive fees in specific search situations to promote positive outcomes for animals and the community.

The waivers would help to encourage more homes for animals, help lost pets return to their owners, and assist pet owners in keeping their animals during times of financial hardship.

There are many benefits to providing fee waivers since they can reduce the length of stay for animals in the shelter and offset costs by freeing up shelter space and resources for other animals in need.

SCHS has demonstrated strong and ongoing commitment to providing fee waivers.

From 2018 to 2023, SDHS waived or reduced approximately 800,000 in fees for City of San Diego residents.

And in sum, staff recommends the adoption of a resolution to increase animal services fees effective October first, 2025, and to continue authorizing SDHS to waive or reduce fees as appropriate.

And we're happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you so much for the presentation.

And uh I'd like to know if we have any public comment.

Oh, except before we have public comment, I'd like to have the IBA make make uh their comments.

Thank you, Chair.

Um Sari Alcalde from the Office of the IBA.

I would just like to provide some quick clarifications.

While the user fees collected by the San Diego Upine Society for Animal Services are intended to partially offset the budget shorefall associated with providing these services to the city, the primary purpose of these proposed fee increases is to align the city's fee structure with those of other jurisdictions served by the San Diego Humane Society.

As staff mentioned, the Humane Society's Society is contractually required to evaluate its fees annually and may recommend new fees for council's approval.

With that said, this item before you would have been brought forward to committee and council, regardless of whether the city is able to pay the full contractual cost of animal services in fiscal year 2026.

That concludes my comments, and I'm available for any questions.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Sarah, do we have public comments?

Thank you, Chair.

Yes, we've received two speaker slips here in chambers.

Cesar Javier, if you please approach the lecture, and you have been seated time by Parita Javier.

Each speaker will have one minute, so I will put two minutes on the clock for you to manage.

Once again, we will demonstrate what is all about this item.

We are watching you.

When we see the words use our fee, and the towards adoption with the letter O.

And the word adoption with the letter A.

We begun to suspect something is going wrong.

The city is beset with this crisis.

You know it.

And it's just like a public that once you try to focus on one, there is a tremor on those crises at present.

And the message here is that which of this must be the priority and must be done now.

You mention about sheltering.

You mentioned about animals.

We are animals.

The homeless people are animals.

We are all animals.

The only difference is we have soul.

Who knows?

That's we will be reincarnated like those dogs and cats and reptiles.

But we must be simply realistic.

Let's focus, not on just balancing the budget, but take care of the victims of higher form of animals.

Like senior Dr.

Campbell.

Like uh our colleagues here, Councillor Foster.

Those are our recommendations.

Thank you for that concluding remark.

I'll begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to provide comment for item number two.

Each speaker will have one minute.

We'll begin testimony with the original.

Please unmute and begin.

Just another, you know, class of souls or living beings that you guys want to exploit.

It's so crazy to hear you talk about species inventory.

You guys need an inventory of everything so that you know who you need to come after.

The San Diego Humane Society euthanizes animals on a regular basis because they get too many.

There's so many that come in all the time, and it's like, you know, people don't even know about the amount of animals that have to be put down.

And so we pay for that.

Um, and then they don't even protect animals when they need protecting when they are being abused and when they are suffering and dying.

Um, you know, so it's just it's really sad to see.

And you know, I don't even understand this one because you're not even getting full cost recovery, but we shouldn't be, you know, needing to license a pet and do all of these things like vaccinate them, you know.

So it's just it's just another way for you know, total control to come so that you can have your hands and tentacles in every aspect of people's lives.

This is nonsense.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is phone number ending in 870.

You can unmute by pressing star six, and you will have one minute.

Uh thank you, Sarah Joy Signata District 3.

Thank you, IBA, and thank you to the San Diego Humane Society.

Big thank you.

And thank you to the Office of the City Attorney.

Uh, yes on this.

I do uh say yes to the user fees.

I this is from the staff report.

Uh I didn't fully understand the contractual agreement with the San Diego Humane Society.

Uh but I did I did like this.

Uh, also mitigate their budget shortfall to philanthropic efforts.

I imagine philanthropic efforts would be and are lucrative resources.

So I'm I love uh philanthropic resources.

Thank you, thank you.

The fee waiver seems appropriate.

Council community member, community committee member foster the third.

Are you comfortable with cost benefit analysis overall on this item?

I'm relying on you from that for that.

I love it.

Thank you.

This does conclude your time.

Thank you for your comment.

And chair with no other hands in the queue.

This concludes testimony for item number two.

Thank you so much.

And I'll now turn it over to uh committee members for any questions, comments, or to entertain a motion for item two.

So moved.

Thank you.

I will second the motion.

I do have one question.

Um I'm wondering the other jurisdictions that you help with is uh by being the humane society for them.

Do they also provide some money in their annual budgets for you?

Yeah, let me go ahead and turn that over to Juliana Tello to best answer that one.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

Um Chair Campbell, Juliana Tetla with San Diego Humane Society.

Uh yes, use each of our contracted jurisdictions do provide um some budgetary um resources to San Diego Humane Society to provide the services.

Um I think one thing that is um either missed or generally unknown is that many of these services are actually mandated by the state.

Um they unfortunately don't fund it, uh, but cities, municipalities are required to provide these services to their residents.

Yes, that's that's true.

Do you happen to have a number uh handy off the top of your head that comes close?

It might lower that philanthropic need a little bit.

All right, Michael Lowry, CFO at San Diego Human Society.

We cover roughly 42% of our operating budget with the contracts from all the cities combined.

It's about 45% of our budget is covered by philanthropic support with the delta between those being covered by the adoptions and these fees that you're considering today.

Right, thank you.

So everybody who can please donate to the Humane Society, and they are very humane and they do everything in a very loving and kind way for the animals, and we appreciate you so much.

I now have a motion by council member Foster and second by myself, and I'll take a voice vote, and I uh will ask for anyone who wishes to vote aye, please speak up.

Aye.

We both vote aye.

So it passes unanimously.

And I want to thank you so much.

And this concludes item number two.

And now, Sarah, please uh get ready to introduce item number three.

Thank you, Chair Campbell.

Item number three, child and youth plan update.

If you're watching on TV or the live stream online and you'd like to call in at the meeting to speak, please call 1669 2545252.

And when prompted, input webinar ID, 161 686 5119 pound.

Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And our presenters are going to get ready.

And I thank you for being here.

It's so nice to see you again.

And if you'd please introduce yourself and uh go ahead and proceed with the presentation.

Good afternoon, Chair Campbell, Councilmember Foster, staff and community members.

I am Tara Ryan with uh program coordinator with the Office of Child and Youth Success.

I'm presenting today on the Child and Youth Strategic Plan update, seeking recommendation to move the item forward to council for adoption.

I'll need about 15 minutes for my presentation today.

So just to be clear, this is not an update about the plan, rather an update of the plan.

A quick review of the timeline of the Office of Child and Youth Success, OCYS, include an explanation about why this update is needed.

As a reminder, OCYS was established in April of 2022.

The majority of fiscal year 2023 and 2024 was focused on developing the child and youth plan, including a comprehensive community engagement process and research, largely largely including youth and our youth interns.

San Diego's first ever child and use strategic plan was presented to council in July 2024 and adopted unanimously.

OCYS immediately began planning for implementation and soon realized an opportunity to strengthen the plan so that it is better understood both internally within the city as well as by our community partners and potential funders.

The main changes included in this updated plan are explicit framing of the child and youth plan as a citywide plan rather than simply a plan for the Office of Child and Youth Success.

Also clarity on the role of OCYS, inclusion of a theory of change that illustrates the intention to reach outcomes, fleshing out the strategies and action steps to include more detail and clarity, adding one overarching goal, which brings together the existing five focus areas, and some wordsmithing of the focus area descriptions and their goals to be easier uh to be easier to understand, as well as inclusion of a section on potential funding strategies.

As you know, in fiscal year 2025 last year, um mid-year, OCYS was consolidated into the library department, and the director position was eliminated.

I will also share some highlights of implementation over the last couple of years of our work.

Um these are listed here.

Um, the Office of Child and Youth Success is a liaison to the youth commission, and we've been focusing on increasing uh recruitment and engagement to fill vacant seats.

Um although we have had a noticeable increase in awareness and applications to the youth commission, uh, there does still remain a number of um unfilled seats, um, and we have not been able to meet quorum to meet for some time.

We've also been focusing on uh providing and making available resources for youth.

Um we've launched a youth-led youth-focused monthly digital newsletter as well as an Instagram page.

Uh both of these are led by our youth interns.

Speaking of our interns, we provide leadership and professional development for 17 youth interns to date, which promote OCYS, research focus area topics, promote resources, facilitate youth presentations and discussion forums, support data collection, and more.

We've been participating in community engagement and outreach events.

I sit on the county child care blueprint implementation team and have been deeply involved in that process with community partners as well as the county.

We participate in the National League of Cities Early Learning Nation cohort.

We've conducted a number of early education, early care and education job fairs to support community partners.

Toward measure H, we've identified identified space and drafted a RFSQ for feasibility assessments for child care on park property.

We provide case-by-case support for child care providers navigating the city processes for facility expansion.

We launched the municipal child care benefit pilot program, which just finished but was implemented over two years with a $2 million HUD grant.

We've been developing strong partner connections and support those partners in navigating city departments and help promoting city opportunities.

We released an RFP earlier this year to provide programs and services aligned with the child and youth plan.

And I'm happy to say that we just executed contracts with promises to kids to provide workforce development services and expand.

They currently serve mostly foster youth across the city, and they'll now be expanding their services to support youth who've been justice involved.

We've been partnering with the Policy Innovation Center as well as San Diego Foundation and Previce Foundation to develop a youth well-being research report.

And focusing on partnerships with community partners as well as interdepartment collaboration.

Just a reminder about who OCYS is.

Navigate and strengthen systems and resources, support and expand access for youth leadership and voice, collect, share, and use data, prioritize children, youth, and families in city planning and policy making, and seek local, federal, and state and philanthropic grants to support city departments with priorities for children and youth.

So again, the child and youth plan creates an intentional roadmap for the city of San Diego to support children, youth, and families in partnership with community partners, public agencies, schools, and other stakeholders.

This update builds on the plan that was developed through community engagement and adopted by City Council in July 2024.

This update is really focused on citywide alignment.

So although implementation of the child and youth plan will be led by the Office in Child and Youth Success, collaboration among various city departments as well as city leadership is critical to carrying out the strategies included herein and realizing the goals and objectives outlined.

Additionally, OCYS is poised to develop and strengthen partnerships with other regional agencies, educational partners, community partners, and support citywide efforts across all departments.

The plan is aligned with all five of San Diego's strategic priority areas, and a number of departments that either directly serve children and youth or impact them are listed here, and our internal partnerships will focus on working with these departments.

They include library, parks and recreation, economic development, human resources, planning, homeless strategies and supports, race and equity, as well as the Office of Mayor and City Council offices.

This child and youth plan update maintains the five focus areas which were initially identified in the original child and youth plan.

Each focus area also includes a goal.

The focus areas are youth empowerment, workforce development and financial well-being, education and educational enrichment, engaging activities and spaces, and child care.

A new overarching goal of child and youth success is added here, represented by the confluence of the five focus areas.

Additionally, a theory of change is now included in the Child and Youth Plan update.

Starting with the various roles that OCYS takes on, so those blue sort of rounded boxes on the top right, those are the same various roles that I discussed earlier that OCYS takes on.

So starting with those activities, we aim to increase collaboration, both internally and externally, to maximize resources and build on strengths.

We seek to strengthen systems by identifying and addressing gaps and barriers using data and being youth informed.

And also we aim to inform decision making by using data, also being youth informed, and working toward equitable solutions.

These short-term outcomes will lead to our identified goals.

As I stated earlier, there is a clear goal for each focus area and a new overarching goal for child and youth success.

And finally, those goals we hope to lead to tangible outcomes.

Again, there's an outcome stated for each goal within each focus area.

And these outcomes we hope lead to an overall impact of San Diego's children and youth being empowered, feeling successful, and thriving.

Also new to this update of the Child and Youth Plan is a discussion about funding and funding strategies.

So the Child and Youth Plan requires a commitment to identify sustainable funding to carry out the work detailed in the strategies and actions listed, including OCYS appropriately to lead the efforts.

OCYS is a small office and now part of the library with reduced staff and modest resources to carry out the ambitious strategies in this plan and investment of resources is required.

We continue to seek funding and resources through grants, philanthropy, and partnerships.

I believe this child and youth plan update will be helpful to more clearly communicate the need and opportunity for ongoing funding.

Specific strategies identified include leveraging existing existing public funding, analyzing existing funding streams to look for opportunities to leverage resources across departments and to support system-wide collaboration.

Working with cities grants office to identify and apply for county, state, and federal child and youth development opportunities and identifying opportunities for city departments to jointly apply for funding on behalf of the city.

Also seeking philanthropic funds where priorities are aligned.

Number four is to leverage OCYS to partner with existing funding collaboratives to identify where priorities are aligned and whether the city is eligible for funding.

We will explore the creation or expansion of public-private partnerships.

And finally, um identify funding streams that can be earmarked for child and youth development efforts.

Examples are considering setting aside funds from development project fees or tax revenue.

To be clear, as a comprehensive community engagement process was conducted in development of the first iteration of the child and youth plan.

These includes explicit strategies to address the connection between youth well-being and the environment and related learning for young people to address climate change, as the impacts will be felt for their future and generations to come.

Also, a suggestion to include the police department in the list of city departments that work with youth.

And explicit reference to uh to work with cultural affairs and alignment with the new creative city cultural plan.

Finally, I will speak a bit to data and measuring progress.

Um as I mentioned earlier, we're currently working with the policy and innovation center to develop a user-friendly youth well-being report with multiple indicators of youth well-being that we can continue to measure and assess over time.

We've also been working internally to identify, gather, and analyze data from multiple sources to both understand where we currently are and to identify opportunities to use this data to measure change.

Finally, we plan to work with the city's PANA department to develop and track metrics specific to the child and youth plan, as well as work within the library department leadership to identify appropriate KPIs.

We especially want to use data to highlight existing disparities and track progress to reduce those disparities.

That concludes my presentation.

Thank you so much for the presentation.

Sarah, do we have any public comment?

Thank you, Chair Campbell.

Yes, we've received two speaker slips here in chambers.

Cesar Javier, you have been seated time by Parita Javier.

Each speaker will have one minute, so I will place two minutes on the clock for you.

Cesar in Purita, thank you, Ancal Sam, and thank you for your presentation.

A student of this university.

You failed our expectation.

What department do you belong?

What is this office belong to of this 47 departments of this city?

No, you don't have to answer.

Your literature verbally is bright, intelligent, but in reality, it's just like a gas.

Tangible one, physical one.

You're providing us a strategic, you know, directions and processes.

And you miss the big thing here.

It's not strategic.

It's just little things just to justify your budget.

It's wrong.

Uncle some look at this.

What about the strategic plan for those victims of criminality?

Victims of fire, victims of flood, money, man-made negligence, man-made corruption.

Those should be form part of the foundation of what you're trying to cloud.

It's a distraction to what is supposed to be the right path.

What about the elders?

What about the seniors?

What about the sick and dying homeless?

Come on.

Please.

Budget chair.

I think there are deadloads in our system, which is eating our revenue.

Mom chair, pardon me to say this.

It is overwhelmingly negligence.

What's the question?

Thank you for your testimony.

Your time has concluded.

I'll begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to provide comment for item number three.

Each speaker will have one minute.

We'll begin with phone number ending in 8700.

Please unmute by pressing star six.

Thank you, Sarah.

Julie Signata District 3.

Thank you for the wonderful photos.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Great presentation.

And Panda and you, I'm just so thrilled with that.

I wanted to mention Chida with the mayor and the commissions.

I'm sure you're in touch with her.

She is so fabulous.

And uh Chida, uh, I know you'll get this message.

Uh, she has a new connection with SDSU.

And I'm just wondering if we can get some internships or uh some connections there to create, bring them over for the commission if that's allowed.

There's a lot of youth over there at STSU, and I want you to fill that commission up.

And then on the youth empowerment, I would add these four words awareness, acceptance, adaptation, and action.

These four words equal resilien resilience.

And in these uncertain times, this is what our unit.

Thank you for your comments.

This does conclude your time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll get better, Sarah.

Our next speaker is the original.

Please unmute and begin.

You will have one minute.

Woe to those who call evil good.

You guys are partnering with Promise to Kids.

One of the large large funders of the child trafficking, part of one of the entities and part of the network that's in San Diego.

Um, they deal with foster youth.

These are children who have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom, waiting to be adopted out because of the way the child trafficking ring works.

They fund the Polinski Center, Promise to Kids does.

They are their key funder.

The Polinski Center, along with all of the other justice, like juvenile detention centers that you're talking about, these uh justice involved youth.

Yeah, they this is a business.

This is a child trafficking and exploitation business that you are engaging with, trying to say that you're going to provide a strategic plan for children and youth, which means it's another way to traffic them, especially when you're engaged with people who do with the Polinski Center or any of these centers who sexually abuse children.

Woe to you.

Your time has concluded.

Thank you for your comment.

Our next speaker is Francine Maxwell.

Please unmute and begin.

You will have one minute.

Thank you, Francine Maxwell, Southeastern San Diego resident.

Thank you so much for the presentation.

Um, you are absolutely adding children's voices.

We have some encanto children in southeastern San Diego that are looking forward to the kids' baking and the tiny chef, Master Chef Junior with our recenter, when they can have the um cooking classes and they can take their food up to the teen center.

So just wanted to say that this is a wonderful plan.

You are absolutely helping community children find their voice.

They have decided that they want a garden where they can grow their own tomatoes and things, cook them in their kitchen there at the Encanto Rick, and take them to their teen center.

And so we are excited about the possibilities, and we look forward to more youth engaging with you, especially as it pertains to the listening sessions that you um that you did and you will do again in the future to help update the youth and get the message out.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for your testimony.

Blair Beekman, please unmute and begin.

You will have one minute.

Hi, thank you.

Uh, thank you for this item.

Uh, it was nice learning what this program can offer.

Um I think uh they can it sounds like they can be a really good facilitator, especially at this time of uh working out new budget planning, how that budget planning can work, how they can work as a go-between between different departments and uh uh on um budgeting issues.

Um, I I think can be this can be awesome.

It's really nice to hear.

Um, good luck on on inviting the element of public participation to this process where possible.

It sounds like you have actually some youth programs and things that are very interesting.

Uh good luck in the continued efforts with this.

Um a reminder of what uh uh uh the DRA just spoke about.

If if there are issues of trafficking, good luck that we can be addressing those openly and figuring things out together.

And uh good luck that you can can give examples uh in in your very good lecture uh on this item.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And the final speaker in the queue is Becky Rapp.

If you can please unmute and begin, you will have one minute.

Great, thank you.

Um my name is Becky Rapp, and I serve on my community planning group.

And as you review the child and youth plan update, I want to emphasize one of the most basic equity issues we face is the right of child of every child to breathe clean air at home.

Too many affordable housing communities in San Diego still allow smoking, and that means children are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke in the very places that they should be the safest.

We know this exposure worsens asthma, increases respiratory illness, and creates barriers for children to succeed in school and in life.

Making affordable housing smoke free directly advances the city's strategic plan.

When we provide homes for all of us, we must ensure those homes are healthy as well as available by keeping the air clean.

We protect and enrich every neighborhood and improve quality of life for families.

Clean air is not a privilege.

It is a fundamental right and it is essential if we are serious about equity.

I urge you to integrate smoke-free multi-use unit housing into this plan so that every child in San Diego.

This does conclude your time.

Thank you for your comment.

And share with the five-minute timer exhausted.

This concludes testimony for item three.

Thank you so much.

And if the committee member uh council member foster doesn't mind, I'd like to ask a couple questions first.

Um thank you so much for the presentation.

I am really uh interested in wondering if you have any data on that wonderful pilot program that you mentioned that you had had for I think was it two years?

Um, and that was a wonderful program.

And unfortunately, those grants have disappeared.

But I wondered if you had any data or um any thing from that program that you could educate us with.

Thank you for the question.

Uh yes, we do have data.

The program um did run for two years, it just finished in July of 2025.

Um, we do have data.

We um are actually finalizing a presentation to share.

Um that will include uh numbers and how many city employees were impacted.

Um, but we also did a satisfaction survey in both year one and year two of the participants.

Overwhelmingly satisfaction was great.

Obviously, they're receiving money funds to help with their child care costs.

But we asked um other questions about the um the process and uh the support that they received, and overwhelmingly there was a high level of satisfaction.

We will be able to share that data in a report shortly.

Thank you.

Will that report be coming uh to council along with whatever it is you you give this report?

I believe so, yes.

Oh, that would be wonderful.

Really appreciate it.

I'm so sorry that those funds have disappeared and we don't have that program any longer, but hopefully for the future.

Um and also wanted to ask you about um measure H that passed the city a few years back about possibly using uh our rec centers uh as child care centers.

And knowing our rec centers, I know it's gonna take a lot of work to get them child care ready, but I wondered if any any movement has been going on that.

There's not much to update at this point.

We had um, and we've presented uh before council as well, but we had worked closely with Parks and Rec to identify potential um locations.

Um currently involved in conversations to um confirm whether or not module um prefabricated module um buildings would be um considered um rather than retrofitting existing rec centers.

Um but right now that's a discussion that's ongoing.

Um we're also considering the idea of a couple pilot um pilot programs within rec centers that Parks and Rec has identified may be a good use of that space.

Um and the next step would be to issue uh RFSQ, which is a request for uh service qualifications to do a comprehensive feasibility study before we um make a commitment or decision on moving forward with any space to understand the complete um not just the cost for updating any space but the ongoing operational cost as well as sort of what that means for the existing space.

I do remember my granddaughter who's uh about to turn 10 that um they she was able to attend a program at our rec center, Cadman, which is a small park here in the city, um, and really enjoyed it as a preschool person.

I mean, she was like three years old, I think, when she attended the program.

And it was from Parks and Rec.

It was done in the Rec Center, and it was um just a wonderful program.

It was a half a day, a couple of days a week.

And uh I just wondered, you know, if going back to look at city resources from those years, which now is getting seven, eight years ago, uh, to see how they did that program at the time, and if that would help us with with future planning, if we could bring those programs back to neighborhoods, I think it would help a lot with child care, which it did for our family, um, as well as just to help the children develop their social abilities and and uh you know how to how to get along with groups and how to play together as teams, etc.

And I believe they also provided lunch at those programs, which was wonderful.

I know times are thinner in terms of finances and um in terms of government help, so uh I'm not sure how we can do that, but at least maybe to use that as a as a plan for for the future and um if revenue sources do open up.

Um, you know, I would really like to see the rec centers updated and upgraded so that they could be used citywide to help with child care needs because they are tremendous.

I can speak to that.

I'm um I'm gonna take a guess that the program your um granddaughter attended was what's considered unlicensed child care.

Um there are uh opportunities to provide unlicensed child care if there's a um maximum four hours a day and a few days a week, and the program doesn't extend longer than I believe 12 weeks.

So the city does continue to operate a few programs similar to that.

I think Parks and Rec is calling them uh Tiny TOTS programs.

They do exist.

I think there's um four or five that exist right now, and I know through conversations with Parks and Rec that they were considering putting out an RFP to extend, expand Tiny TOTS programs at other rec centers.

Um you're right, those programs do provide a great opportunity to develop social skills, um uh opportunities for you know play-based learning, and it does provide parents a bit of a break.

Um Measure H is focused on licensed child care, which can provide full-time ongoing child care, um, and to achieve a license for child care at the facility, that's where we start getting into all of the other regulations that dictate the size based on the number of children, um, things like outdoor access, um exclusive use of restrooms that aren't shared by the public.

Same thing with uh outdoor playground space.

So that's where the complications come in.

But the program that you mentioned, there are a few existing, and I think there's plans to expand those.

Yeah, that would be great.

It was it was great.

I remember uh one of the grandparents used to come just observe, and a lot of the the parents or the nannies would come and stay the whole time, but not be involved actually in the care.

But the the caregivers were fantastic.

Um they were well trained, they knew what they were doing, they were loving, they were kind, and it was really a great program.

So even though it was unlicensed, it was it was helpful.

Um I'm not I don't know, you know, nowadays things have changed so much just in eight years, but um that was very a very good program.

So I'm glad to hear that we do still have a few places that are doing it, and uh kudos, you know.

If we could just get enough wherewithal that we could make priority for children, uh that should be our top priority.

So I really appreciate all that you do, and I say, hang in there, we've got to figure this out because we've got to get this thing up on a level that it deserves to be.

So thank you.

And I'd like to see if our council member Foster would like to make any questions or comments.

Sure, thank you, Chair, and thank you, staff for the report.

And I guess if we can kind of kind of go back just for my own education, I'm trying to understand as we were just talking about park and rec and programs.

I'm trying to understand your office, the interaction, who's the lead, who's responsible for what and how the pieces all fit together.

If you can kind of kind of paint that picture for me so I can um have an understanding of roles and how folks interact.

Yeah.

So the Office of Child and Youth Success is now part of the library department.

I am a program coordinator, and I'm basically the lead for the Office of Child and Youth Success.

We have two other staff members who are here today, and we have a couple of youth interns currently working with us.

And I've been really grateful since we moved to the library to be warmly welcomed by leadership and really included in planning and consideration.

And so we've already been having a lot of discussions about how OCYS can continue to support the library to prioritize children and youth, and how the you know resources that the library has can support OCYS to continue to do our work.

Does that answer your question about our organization?

Really, I understand you move to libraries, but I'm looking at as you look at the various, I guess you refer to them as partner departments.

How are I I'm trying to understand role roles, right?

So you say, hold on.

You say prioritizes for children, youth and families within city planning and policy making.

So as you look at the various partner departments, I'm trying to understand how you how you're working with the departments or how are the departments working with you to look at city planning and prioritizing youth, kids, so on and so forth, right?

As we're doing policymaking.

What does that look like?

Who's the who does what?

Who's on first base, second base, third base?

Yeah.

I would say it's really on a case-by-case uh basis.

One of the things that we're starting with right now is working on developing sort of a shared vision of working with children and youth across the city.

So I'm working on continuing uh sort of professional development and learning on the positive youth development framework, which uh really is the framework for the child and youth plan and the work of the Office of Child and Youth Success.

So we we um last spring we provided sort of an overview, a number of overview sessions for a number of different departments and mostly leadership from those departments attended, and now we're getting ready to roll out professional development and training on the positive youth development so there's a clear understanding.

So we really want to start with a shared vision and shared framework, so that when we do get into conversations around policy or resource allocation, there's a starting point that we're all on the same page, and we're being intentional about what how we prioritize children and youth and how we want to work with them.

The positive youth development framework is focused on lifting up youth voices, involving youth in decisions that affect them, um, and building on their strengths and assets to continue to grow.

So being really intentional about programs and services that are offered to them.

So that's one example of how we're working with um departments.

Within the library, I've um we're within the um uh youth and family services division of the library.

So I've been working very closely with that division to talk about how we can use data in different ways to really understand where disparities are and how we can address them, to look at additional resources that we can bring in or additional collaborations that we can make, um, strengthening partnerships between uh library branches and local schools, for example, but also starting from sort of a centralized conversation between OCYS, the library, and the school district central operations, rather than having each branch kind of working on those relationships one by one as an example.

Um with Parks and Rec, our partnership so far has really been focused on uh measure H, but there's many more opportunities that are um sort of listed in the different strategies, especially under that focus area of um uh engaging um spaces, spaces and activities for youth.

Um, another example is I'm working very closely with the economic development department's promise zone um staff to talk about how we can look at some of the um successes that the promise zone has had and some of the practices that they've built to expand those citywide.

An example is the upcoming youth-led job expo that is planned for this March to expand from involving just youth in the promise zone really citywide, especially South Bay, to ensure that those youth have access to that same job fair and all of those different partners that come together to provide opportunities to make sure that they have transportation so that they can access it, etc.

So it's really sort of case by case and starting where we can partner with different different departments in the city and work toward those outcomes.

So as I look at this report, there's a section that says ensure all students have equitable access to and sub and support to achieve strong educational outcomes, college and career readiness, and post-secondary attainment.

I guess when we're indicating things like that in this plan, at some point is our expect our expectation be at some point PANDA will be involved and we'll be able to understand based on what programs you are doing and what the actual potential outcomes are.

Is that is that what I'm to understand?

Yes, we will be we will be working with PANA to identify metrics to measure progress.

Um the specific um goal that you just mentioned around workforce development and career pathways, um is also I mentioned that we are just finalizing a youth well-being report in partnership with the Policy and Innovation Center.

That is one of the areas that indicators of youth well-being uh is included in that report around uh employment for young people, umpportunities for uh workforce participation.

There's I think there's three or four indicators in that area.

Next month, I'm bringing together um having a community conversation to invite um both city departments that are involved in youth workforce development as well as community partners to come together just for a conversation about how the city can better support the ecosystem through really primarily through system strengthening and collaboration.

So the intention is that after that community conversation we identify topics to develop working groups if that's what folks want to do to continue to support that collaboration and system strengthening.

Okay.

Um I guess I guess just in closing, just for some other examples.

Um just as we go through our budget process, right?

This last cycle we were presented with cuts to park and rec to libraries.

Were you involved in those decisions as far as the policy decisions that were being made and identifying what impacts potentially there are by cutting those hours and I'm gonna say alternatives and different ways to compensate for things like that, or was that done just at another OCYS was not included in those conversations.

Okay.

I'm assuming I'll ask another question.

If we're doing the what happened with the conversation we had on Monday regarding parking at Balboa Park, and we had issues with San Diego High School, right?

And having access.

Were you involved in that at all or looked at it at all or did anything with that?

We were not involved in those conversations.

Okay.

All righty.

Um I think that concludes my questions at this time.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, uh, Councilmember Foster, and thank you for your answers.

It's amazing what a wide uh stretch of different ages and different needs that they have that you're involved with, and I really appreciate you getting with the departments to see how we can all work together.

I think the libraries um of course I wish we had had you separate and had all the wherewithal we had previously, but um I think the libraries is a good a good place because they're so involved with youth, and they provide so much help for us with helping our youth learn and and prove.

Um, but I wanted to ask you is there an action item?

I believe this is a discussion item that we are going to need a motion uh and is that for you to bring the presentation to the council.

Okay, I would like to move uh that staff recommendation and uh could I have a second?

Yes.

Thank you so much, and I'll look forward to that uh to that presentation at council as well.

And thank you so much for hanging in there and all the good work you're doing.

This is so important, and we're gonna try to uh help to to give it even more priority.

But thank you so much for your understanding of the difficulties and your ability to wade through them and find ways to help anyway.

Thank you.

So we now have a motion uh by myself, the second by council member Foster, and uh we'll take a voice vote on staff recommendation.

Uh all those voting uh in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you so much, and that passes unanimously.

And uh that is the conclusion of item number three, and so that actually brings us to the end of today's short agenda.

Um, and we want to thank the members of the public and staff for participating.

And I will now adjourn the meeting of the community neighborhood services committee to our next regularly scheduled meeting, which will be Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025 at 2 p.m.

We are adjourned.