San Diego Community Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – October 21, 2026

On October 21, 2026, beginning at 10:00 UTC, the City of San Diego Community Neighborhood Services Committee met. Chair Jennifer Campbell presided, joined by Councilmember Campillo and Councilmember Foster; Vice Chair Von Wilpert was absent. The committee heard non-agenda public comment, approved the consent agenda, received an information-only presentation, and voted 3-0 on each action item.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Approval of committee minutes from September 23, 2026: Approved 3-0. Public comment on the minutes included a request to more accurately reflect a prior speaker’s diesel shortage point, support for the committee’s smoke-free outdoor dining progress, and a question about how hookah bars would be treated under smoking rules.

Public Comments & Testimony

Non-Agenda Public Comment

• Audra urged the committee to support Councilmember Foster’s proposed recision of the ALPR use policy and to also rescind the smart streetlight surveillance use policy, saying the council should not circumvent the will of the people.
• Blair Beekman discussed cannabis equity, the city budget deficit, and the transition away from Flock ALPR technology, asking for clarity on how many Flock cameras would be removed and how they differ from Ubicua smart streetlight cameras.
• Catherine Rhodes urged the city to change the word host to host/owner in the municipal code to close a loophole she said would allow the Turquoise Tower project to convert apartments into short-term vacation rentals. She also proposed using an economic opportunity approach for Midway Rising and placing affordable housing downtown.
• Crypto Bradley said the city should spend some of its roughly $2 billion in reserve funds on community programs instead of letting inflation erode purchasing power. He also opposed state ADU and bike lane mandates.
• Kathleen Lippett urged that city investments reflect council values, opposed fossil fuel investment, and criticized marijuana equity licenses and billboards on public health grounds.
• Tony thanked the budget committee for voting to rescind the Flock contract, described opposition to Flock cameras as bipartisan, and questioned why the city council continued supporting them.
• Becky Rapp asked the committee to agendize the sale and transfer of cannabis business permits, saying residents currently lack notification and participation when a cannabis business changes ownership.
• Terry Ann Skelly supported park maintenance and expansion of smoke-free and vape-free public spaces, especially near playgrounds.
• Francine Maxwell called for city education and race-equity outreach to owners of mixed-use properties, particularly around trash fees and homeownership opportunities.
• Judy String said delivery service ordinances need enforcement, and raised concerns about cannabis products being delivered into neighborhoods.
• Stephanie McCoy and Michael Schmidt also offered brief community comments.

Information Item: San Diego LGBT Community Center (Item 7)

• Karina Pugh, Senior Policy and Advocacy Analyst, presented an overview of the center. She said the center was founded in 1971, is one of the largest LGBTQ+ centers in the nation, and has grown from a $6.5 million budget in 2018 to $17 million. Service visits are up 33% since 2018, from 82,000 to more than 109,000 visits annually. More than 345,000 people in San Diego County identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. The center has over 800 volunteers and provides housing, youth, behavioral health, veterans, and civic engagement services.
• Public comment included Audra opposing minors receiving services without parental consent; Madison supporting the center and citing CDC data on tobacco use disparities; Francine Maxwell raising concerns about HRC accessibility; Kathleen Lippett urging that services not exclude non-LGBTQ people who face similar challenges; and Tony expressing support but arguing that Flock surveillance would target the LGBTQ community.
• In response, Pugh clarified that the center does not provide medical procedures or prescriptions; it connects people to medical and gender-affirming care providers. The item was information-only and required no vote.

Discussion Item: Short-Term Residential Occupancy Ordinance Amendments (Item 6)

• Venus Molina, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Campbell, presented amendments to the Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) ordinance. She reviewed the history of the 2021 Campbell compromise, the 1% whole-home cap outside Mission Beach, the 30% cap in Mission Beach, the May 1, 2023 implementation date, and $167 million collected from STR operators since the ordinance began.
• Proposed amendments included defining primary residence, clarifying tier two home sharing, requiring county assessor/residential building records, barring licenses for tenant protection ordinance violators, strengthening utilization and reporting requirements, improving safety and land use compliance, and extending the coastal overlay sunset clause from January 2030 to January 2038.
• Numerous hosts and industry supporters testified, including Mark McDonald, Fabiola Murphy, Eric Wilson, Kimberly Jackson, Sean Murphy, Larry Webb, Fred Sue, Ben Lyon, Bill Brewer, Suzanne Christensen, Rachel Kretzer, Liz Lerner, and representatives of the Carpenters Union and Local 619. Many supported the amendments while asking the city not to burden responsible hosts.
• Jay Goldberg of Nice Neighbors said 12–15% of active whole-home Airbnbs are in multifamily buildings that were vacated and converted, and called for closing the fake host loophole and enforcing one owner, one license. Catherine Rhodes also supported one owner/one license and opposed corporate ownership. Gary Wanacut argued the city has broad police power to amend the ordinance. Audra said the rules target working families and infringe on property rights. Kevin Hastings disputed Councilmember Campbell’s historical estimate of 22,000 vacation rentals and opposed extending the sunset. Dan opposed increased regulation, and Crypto Bradley said the city should focus enforcement on large operators.
• Councilmember Campillo asked detailed questions about the difference between host and owner, proxy licenses, and enforcement against tenant protection ordinance violators. City Treasurer staff and the Deputy City Attorney explained that the ordinance allows one license per host, including lessees, and that proxy abuse can be treated as a violation subject to revocation, while TPO enforcement is often initiated through complaints. Councilmember Campbell noted that short-term rental TOT payments have contributed $247 million to the general fund since 2022.
• The committee voted 3-0 to adopt the STRO amendments.

Discussion Item: As-Needed Tree Maintenance Services Contract (Item 3)

• Michael Jones, Assistant Deputy Director, Parks and Recreation Department, presented the RFP for as-needed tree maintenance services. The recommended contract is with West Coast Arborist for a not-to-exceed amount of $30 million over five years, with $3.62 million allocated for fiscal year 2027, $26,399,800 for the remaining contract period, and $1,000 for the parks and recreation maintenance assessment districts management fund.
• The Independent Budget Analyst’s office noted that the fiscal year 2028 contract value increases by roughly $2.4 million, or about 66%, compared to fiscal year 2027, followed by average annual increases of about $437,000 or 6.9%. The IBA said the not-to-exceed amount is the maximum, not a guaranteed annual expenditure.
• Public comment included Audra criticizing the vendor and alleging incentive problems in tree maintenance; Mike Pallett, Vice President of West Coast Arborist, expressing support for the contract; Calvin Barrios of LIUNA Local 89, representing West Coast Arborist workers, supporting the award; Crypto Bradley urging consultation with the Balboa men’s club before tree removals; and Raynal supporting use of a San Diego business but raising concerns about underfunded MADs in flood-prone areas.
• The committee voted 3-0 to approve the contract and funding actions.

Discussion Items: Mission Bay Beach Bar and Mooring Fee Changes (Items 4 & 5)

• Patrick Hadley, Deputy Director for Mission Bay and Shoreline, presented two linked items stemming from a fraud hotline complaint about beach bar permit management. The audit produced 10 recommendations; the proposed changes move the beach bar program from perpetual annual renewal to a two-year lottery, prioritize San Diego residents and mooring holders, actively maintain a waitlist, and adjust fees based on benchmarking against Long Beach, Santa Barbara, Delray Beach, and San Diego Bay mooring operators.
• The proposed beach bar fee would increase from $266 to $347. The annual mooring fee would remain $1,244 in January 2027, with an increase planned for July 2027. A new replacement sticker fee and annual CPI adjustment were also proposed.
• Matt Helm, Assistant City Auditor, said the items align with the audit recommendations. He noted the prior waitlist had more than 400 people, some waiting as long as 200 years, and praised the department for completing the fee benchmark study in-house ahead of schedule.
• Public comment included Audra questioning the size and timing of the fee increase and demanding transparency about where fee revenues go. Crypto Bradley commented on neglected city leases and said the city had been giving permit holders a bargain.
• The committee approved Item 4 (beach bar program code changes) by 3-0 and Item 5 (fee updates) by 3-0 as separate votes.

Discussion Item: Ocean View Hills Zone A/Nicano Maintenance Assessment District Formation (Item 2)

• Michael Jones presented the proposed Ocean View Hills Zone A, or Nicano, Maintenance Assessment District (MAD). The district is required as a condition of development by property owner Tri-Point Homes, will be separate from the adjacent Ocean View Hills MAD, and will fund enhanced medians, rights-of-way, open space maintenance, and related services. Formation requires two council dates: approving intent and mailing ballots on the first date, and ordering formation and authorizing funds on the second date after a public hearing.
• Public comment included Audra raising a point of order about quorum and the Brown Act; Raynal expressing concern that the new MAD could receive funding while other communities remain underfunded; and Crypto Bradley saying poor maintenance citywide, including streets near Mission Bay, shows the city’s neglect.
• The committee voted 3-0 to approve staff’s recommendation for the formation process.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved 3-0.
• Information item on the San Diego LGBT Community Center received; no vote required.
• Item 6, amendments to the Short-Term Residential Occupancy Ordinance, approved 3-0.
• Item 3, the $30 million West Coast Arborist tree maintenance services contract, approved 3-0.
• Item 4, Mission Bay beach bar program changes, approved 3-0.
• Item 5, beach bar and mooring fee updates, approved 3-0.
• Item 2, Ocean View Hills Zone A/Nicano MAD formation process, approved 3-0.
• All votes were 3-0 with Vice Chair Von Wilpert absent. The meeting was adjourned to the next regular committee meeting, scheduled for January 2027 after next year’s legislative calendar is approved.