Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting – June 6, 2019
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Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting Summary – June 6, 2019
The Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the San Diego City Council met on June 6, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. Committee members Vice Chair Montgomery and Councilmember Kercy were absent; Council President Gomez participated. The committee approved the April 11, 2019, minutes, heard public comments, unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the exclusion of transgender persons from U.S. military service, and received an informational report on a badge program used by the San Diego Unified School District.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes from the April 11, 2019, committee meeting were approved unanimously on a motion by Councilmember Bree, seconded by Chair Ward.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Terry Skelly expressed concern about the safety of businesses located near marijuana extraction labs, citing that 27 of 40 city MPF applications are for extraction labs and that six extraction lab explosions occurred in the San Diego area in the past six weeks. Skelly referenced a May 8, 2019, DEA investigation involving 220 butane canisters and suggested the committee receive a report from county hazmat staff and ask DSD staff to describe required protections.
- Item 1 (transgender military ban resolution): Rebecca Hookheld, on behalf of the San Diego LGBT Community Center, voiced support for the resolution, stating the policy impacts up to 15,000 transgender service members. Michelle Duncan spoke in support, arguing that the city has a history of military support and that norms must be breached to protect marginalized groups.
- Item 4 (badge program report): Brad Barnum of the Associated General Contractors expressed concerns, not outright opposition, about the proposed badging policy, questioning how it would work on non-union job sites and suggesting the city first consult its own compliance staff. Gretchen Newsom of IBEW 569 urged support, citing a U.S. Department of Labor study showing misclassified workers increased by 42% between 2000 and 2007. Angelina Corassani of the Center on Policy Initiatives also urged support, highlighting the drain on government resources from misclassification.
Discussion Items
- Item 1: Resolution opposing the exclusion of transgender persons from U.S. military service. Veronica Zara, retired Major from the U.S. Army, and Tristan Sotomayor, veteran U.S. Navy Petty Officer, presented personal testimony and background. They noted that the ban went into effect on April 12, 2019, and affects approximately 15,000 active transgender service members. Council President Gomez and Councilmember Rottenbury expressed strong support, citing the city's first legislative policy priority to oppose actions that detrimentally impact diverse communities. The resolution directs the city council to send it to the President and San Diego congressional delegation.
- Item 4: Informational report on San Diego Unified School District's project stabilization agreement volunteer project access badge program. Carol Kim of the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council, Doug Hicks of Carpenters Local 619, and Lee Dolgoroff of San Diego Unified School District presented. They highlighted that San Diego Unified has covered 154 projects, created 23,881 job years of employment, and invested over $1.5 million per day in renovations. The badging program, in place since 2014, allows union representatives access to job sites to help ensure compliance. Councilmember Bree asked about on-time/on-budget performance and safety; Dolgoroff noted projects are on average 3% under budget and no major accidents in recent years. Council President Gomez questioned current city checks and balances; Deputy City Director Claudia Barca described the city's existing prevailing wage monitoring. No formal action was taken on this item.
Key Outcomes
- The resolution opposing the transgender military ban passed unanimously on a motion by Council President Gomez, seconded by Councilmember Rottenbury. It will be forwarded to the full City Council.
- Agenda items 2 and 3 were continued to a future committee date.
- Item 4 was for information only; councilmembers expressed interest in exploring a similar badging policy for the city, with further discussions to continue offline.
- The next committee meeting was scheduled for June 27, 2019, at 2 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
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