San Diego Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting - December 6, 2023
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
San Diego Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting - December 6, 2023
The Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee met on December 6, 2023, to discuss and vote on several items including a consent agenda item, a proposal for entertainment worker safety, adoption of HUD consolidated plan goals, amendments to economic development policies, and an informational update on World Design Capital 2024. All votes taken were unanimous with three members present (Chair Campio, Councilmember Campbell, Councilmember Lee). Public testimony was provided by multiple speakers, including union representatives and community members.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: First Amendment to consulting agreement with Nathan Page for the Canyon Street Pocket Park Public Art Project. The item was approved unanimously after public testimony from Joyce Sanyata (District 3) and Dan Schmikowski, both expressing support.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joyce Sanyata (District 3): Spoke in support of the consent calendar item, highlighting the long effort to create the park. Also spoke in support of entertainment worker safety (Item 2), the consolidated plan goals (Item 3), and World Design Capital 2024 (Item 5). Offered praise for staff and presenters.
- Dan Schmikowski: Spoke in support of the consent calendar item and entertainment worker safety, and expressed support for the consolidated plan goals. Also commented on World Design Capital 2024, suggesting future Olympic games in San Diego, and raised concerns about campaign finance reform during non-agenda public comment.
- Group presentation from IATSE Local 122: Robert Morales (Business Manager), Bridget Browning (San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council), Jeff Baxter (stagehand with 42 years experience), Kristen Klein, Zachary Winmacher, Nathan Harrenstein, Fernanda Flores, and others spoke in strong support of the entertainment worker safety ordinance. They emphasized the dangers stagehands face and the need for OSHA 10, OSHA 30, and ETCP certifications.
- IATSE members who registered in favor but did not speak: Juan Perez, Kim DeCastro, Rudy Labara, Katherine Reims, Kim Siminski, Marcus Lasky, Sam Lopez, Nick Allegra.
Discussion Items
- Item 2: Securing Entertainment Worker Safety at City Facilities – Justine Murray (Deputy Chief of Staff, District 7) presented a proposal to require vendors producing live events at city-owned or operated facilities and parks to certify that entertainment workers have completed OSHA 10-hour training and supervisors have completed OSHA 30 and are ETCP certified. The proposal mirrors existing county and state laws (AB 1775). Public testimony was strongly in favor from union members and residents. Chair Campio made a motion to direct the City Attorney to draft an ordinance for future council consideration. The motion passed unanimously.
- Item 3: Adoption of FY2025-FY2029 HUD Consolidated Plan Goals – Angela Nazareno Clark (HUD Program Manager), Nadine Hassoon, and Heidi Eggler (Root Policy Research) presented the draft goals based on extensive community engagement, including eight public forums and a stakeholder meeting with over 200 participants. The five goals are: increase affordable housing; invest in inclusive economic growth; develop vibrant neighborhoods; improve housing stability for critical needs populations; and improve community services. The committee voted to recommend approval to City Council. Motion by Councilmember Lee, seconded by Councilmember Campbell, passed unanimously.
- Item 4: Amendments to Council Policies 900-01 and 900-12 (Economic Development and Business Incentive Program) – Liz Studebaker and Karina Danick presented revisions to align with the newly adopted 2023-2026 Economic Development Strategy. Key changes include removing the base-sector eligibility requirement, lowering thresholds for small businesses and businesses in low-to-moderate income areas, and increasing award amounts. Since 2018, 115 businesses applied but none received funds due to restrictive criteria. The committee approved the amendments unanimously.
- Item 5: Progress Report on World Design Capital 2024 – Jonathan Glus (Executive Director, Arts and Culture Commission), Christine Jones, and Carlos De La Mora (CEO, World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024) provided an informational update. The city allocated up to $3 million, and the contract was approved by City Council on December 4, 2023. Activities include signature events (World Design Spotlight, Design Festival, Policy Conference, Convocation), a community program with 500+ submitted initiatives, and a grants program launching December 15, 2023 (up to $75,000 per project, $550,000 total). Councilmember Lee expressed concerns about the short grant application timeline overlapping with holidays. No vote was taken as it was informational.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1 (Consent): Approved unanimously.
- Item 2 (Entertainment worker safety): Motion passed unanimously to direct the City Attorney to draft an ordinance for future council consideration.
- Item 3 (Consolidated plan goals): Motion passed unanimously to recommend City Council approval of the FY2025-2029 goals.
- Item 4 (Economic development policy amendments): Motion passed unanimously to approve amendments to Council Policies 900-01 and 900-12.
- Item 5 (World Design Capital): Informational; no action taken. Committee members directed staff to consider extending the grants application deadline to ensure equitable access.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon and welcome to the special economic development and intergovernmental relations committee meeting of December 6th, 2023. Our committee liaison Sarah Jordan will provide information and instruction to the public on how to participate in today's meeting. Thank you, Chair Campio. While members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website. And the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure that the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair Campio. Thank you. I'll now call this meeting to order, and we will call the rule. Councilmember Campbell? Here. Councilmember Lee? Here. And I am also present. Also in Chambers is Nikki Bennett, Associate Fiscal and Policy Analyst from the Office of the IBA, Deputy City Attorney Kate Malcolm from the Office of the City Attorney. Stephen Hill, Senior Policy Advisor from the Office of the Mayor. Sarah, please continue with public comment instruction. Thank you. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the box indicated at the speaker's lectern at the front of the room. Please do so 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 1669-254-5252. And when prompted, input webinar ID 160-381-2925 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you're watching via City TV channel 24 or online, there may be a 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 on 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 are a call in participant by pressing star nine on the cell phone or the landline. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you, Sarah. A quorum now being present. We will now dispense with the approval of committee actions of October 4th, 2023. Chair, we have not received any speaker slips in chambers, and I don't see any hands raised in the virtual queue, so that will conclude public testimony on the past committee actions. Going to question comments and questions, uh, having the motion second on the record uh and comments or register your vote. Councilmember Campbell Councilmember Lee. Yes. And I also am a yes. Thank you. That passes unanimously with the three members present. And we will now move to committee members, mayoral staff, city attorney, and IBA comments. Do we have any comments? Hearing none, are there any requests for continuances? Hearing none, let us take up our agenda for today. So note for the public. We'll be hearing non-agenda public comment at the end of the meeting after our agenda items. Sarah, please introduce our first item.
openpublica.com