Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee - November 17, 2022
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Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting – November 17, 2022
The Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the San Diego City Council met on Thursday, November 17, 2022. The meeting included approval of previous minutes, non-agenda public comment, two action items (traffic control worker protections and the 2023-2024 statefederal legislative platform), and two informational reports (citywide grants and the Office of Child and Youth Success). All votes on action items were unanimous among members present.
Consent Calendar
- Appral of Committee Actions (Octobe 6, 2022): The committee voted unanimously to approve the actions from the Octobe 6, 2022 meeting. No public comment was received.
Non-Agenda Public Comments
- Becky Rapp (parent and youth mentor) expressed gratitude for youth internship programs but voiced concern that the city is promoting marijuana businesses as opportunities for young people. She urged the committee to direct youth toward public service, education, and tech industries rather than drug sales.
- Kathleen Lippitt (frequent public speaker) raised concerns about marijuana businesses targeting children with predatory advertising, arguing that such businesses are not family-friendl and that they lead to illegal operations. She asked the committee to support parents in raising drug-fre children.
Discussion Item 1: City of San Diego Public Right of Way, Traffic Control Worker Protections
Presentaton (Michael Simonson, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Campillo): Simonson presented data showing 842 work zone fatalities nationally in 2019, 74 in California, and over 100 traffic control workers killed annually (nearly half struck by vehicles). He noted that the city receives millions in state and federal funding for road repairs, but private utility and commercial projects are not covered by prevailing wage laws. The recommendation was to request the city attorney’s office to draft municipal code amendments requiring traffic control workers be paid at least the state general prevailing wage.
Public Comment: Kelvin Barrios (Director of Government Affairs, Laborers Local 89) spoke in support, describing wage disparities (18-20/hr for Verion work vs. nearly 40/hr for SDG&E vs. minimum wage for Cox). He argued that prevailing wage improves safety and attracts better workers. Several other union members registered support without speaking.
Discussion: Councilmembers Campbell and Montomery Stee expressed support. Campillo moved the recommendation, Campbell seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Discussion Item 2: 2023-2024 State and Federal Legislative Platform
Presentaton (Adrian Grande, Director of Government Affairs): Grande presented the two-year legislative platform, highlighting guiding principles (social justice, local control, fiscal stability), ongoing priorities (housing, homelessness, infrastructure, youth workforce, climate), and recent successes (88.7 million in state project funding, 2.4 million in federal community funding). The platform authorizes the Department to act on legislation without returning to committee each time.
Public Comment: Joyce Nyada (istrict 3) thanked the team and highlighted behavioral health, clen waterways, and workforce development as priorities.
Discussion: Councilmember Montomery Stee noted the removal of the opportunity zone language and asked to add “proactive measures to reduce community violence” under public safety. Councilmember Campbell voiced strong support for prevention programs. The committee approve the staff recommendation with the addition proposed by Montomery Stee. The motion (Campillo, second by Campbell) passed unanimously.
Information Item 3: FY2022 Citywide Grants Report
Presentaton (Keith Corey, Senior Grants Manager): The city submitted 100 grant applications valued at nearly 260 million in FY2022, receiving 59 awards worth abut 230 million. This represented a 27% increase in applications and a 62% increase in award value over the prior year. The report highlighted top five grant-active departments, single awards for water supply, homelessness, affordable housing, youth workforce, and disaster preparedness. The division continues to improve processes, including post-award feedback and eqity lenses.
Public Comment: Joyce Nyada asked about the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program and expressed interest in youth-focused grants.
Discussion: Councilmember Campbell praised the team’s work. Councilmember Campillo noted specific grants for his district (75,000 for shade structures at Mission Trails Park, 100,000 for trail system management) and asked about trends for unsuccessful applications. Corey explained that the division conducts post-mortem conversations with funders. No vote was required.
Information Item 4: Office of Child and Youth Success Update
Presentaton (Andrea O'Hara, Director): O’Hara outlined the office’s three strategic objectives: increasing child care opportunities, investing in youth leaders, and providing meaningful connections for youth. She mentioned the Employee and Empower Program (over 300 applicants, 80 placements in city positions), partnership with the State Treasurer’s Office to promote Cal Kids 529 plans, and the development of a Child and Youth Master Plan (RFP closing the next day). She also discussed collaboration with school districts to align programs for homeless and refugee families.
Public Comment: Joyce Nyada praised the presentation; another caller cited technical issues with the city website and urged more funding for unsheltered families with children, referencing recent reports of families with cars impounded and left without housing.
Discussion: Vice Chair Kate asked about Measure H (child care on parkland) and the RFI process for potential child care locations. O’Hara confirmed that the RFI closed, an RFP is expected in early 2023, and feedback focused on regulatory requirements rather than specific locations. Councilmember Campillo noted his support for the office and the Child and Youth Master Plan. No vote was required.
Key Outcomes
- Traffic Control Worker Protections: The committee directed the city attorney’s office to draft amendments to the municipal code requiring prevailing wage for traffic control workers in the public right-of-way. (Vote: 3-0)
- 2023-2024 State and Federal Legislative Platform: The committee approved the updated legislative platform with an added priority on proactive measures to reduce community violence. (Vote: 3-0)
- Informational Items: The committee received the FY2022 Citywide Grants Report and the update from the Office of Child and Youth Success; no formal action was taken.
Meeting Transcript
Mr. Kent, thank you. Thirty seconds. Yes, thank you. Thank you, President. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the special economic development and intergovernmental relations committee of November 17th, 2022. While the public is allowed to attend meetings in person, we encourage you to maintain six feet of social distance as well as follow California mask guidelines where master strongly recommended. In addition to being able to attend in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the committee liaison will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Additionally, members of the public who wish to provide testimony via call-in or internet-based service option must enter the virtual speaking queue within five minutes after the conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the council can manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation with this. And I will now call the meeting of the Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Thursday, November 17th, 2022 to order, and I will call the roll. Vice Chair Kate. Councilmember Campbell. Here. Council President Pro Tem Montgomery Step. Here. And I am also present. Also present in Chambers or Baku Patel, Fiscal and Policy Analyst of the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst. Matt Yagyagan, Deputy Director of Policy for the Office of Mayor Todd Gloria, and Deputy City Attorney Daphne Scogan from the Office of City Attorney Mara Elliott. If you're in person, please compete a s complete a speaker slip located in the entrance of chambers and place it in the box indicated at the speaker's lecture and at the front of the room, and please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Members of the public can also 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 homepage. Web page. So please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you've called in by cell phone or landline, you'll press star six on your phone to unmute yourself. And we'll review instructions briefly again during items. Please wait until you wish to speak to uh please wait until the item you wish to speak about has been called before raising your hand. And if you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. When you are announced as the next speaker, please unmute yourself and offer your comments. And again, remember to mute your devices before you speaking so there's no feedback. A quorum is now present. We will move to the approval of committee actions. The actions before us are for the approval of October 6, 2022, and the public comment period for this item is now open. The members of the public who wish to speak can either submit a speaker slip or or via the internet-based service option, register their desire to speak on this. Again, 1669, 2545252. And the webinar ID is 161759340 pound. As a reminder, virtual speakers, raise your hand by clicking the raise your hand button or import star nine on your phone. Mr. Burch will announce once you're turned to speak. Mr. Birch, do we have any speakers in person or on the queue for the uh item before us? Thank you, Chair Campio. Uh, we do not have any speakers in person who have indicated or uh submit speaker slips, nor do we have anybody in the virtual queue. So that'll conclude public testimony on the minutes. We will now uh vote on the approval of the committee actions for Thursday, October 6th. And I will move the item. Do I have a second? I see a second from Council President Pro Tem online, and we will now register our votes audibly. Vice Chair Kate is absent.
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