San Diego Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting - February 20, 2026
San Diego Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting - February 20, 2026
The Special Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the San Diego City Council met on February 20, 2026, at 2:00 PM. Chair Campillo presided, with Councilmembers Campbell and Foster present; Vice Chair Lee was absent. The committee approved a consent agenda, heard public comments, adopted a marketing partnership for CPR1 LLC, and received the annual Tourism Marketing District performance report.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (3-0) the consent agenda including items 1-5: approval of committee minutes from December 10, 2025; compensation agreements for the Naval Training Center, Walker Scott (1014 Fifth Avenue), and the Chinese Historical Museum (404 Third Avenue); and actions related to the East Village Green Phase One Project (third amendment to the compensation agreement with Civic San Diego and second amendment to the consulting agreement with Regalman LLC). Chair Campillo noted that items 2-4 ensure compliance with state law and protect community assets, and item 5 delivers a long-awaited park without using general fund dollars.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-Agenda Public Comment: Multiple speakers addressed the committee. Blair Beekman commented on the capital improvement program and parking revenues at Balboa Park. Terry Ann Skelly, a planning group member and parent, expressed support for the youth workforce program (ages 16-30) and opposition to marijuana marketing. A speaker (phone ending in 8700, later identified as Joyce Sanyata) congratulated Chair Campillo on his new daughter and urged open data on budget needs. Madison, a mother of three, urged caution on federal marijuana rescheduling, citing gateway drug concerns and economic costs. Peggy Walker called for a comprehensive audit of the economic costs of THC products, citing societal costs exceeding tax revenue. Judy Strang criticized the condition of the airport corridor and the presence of marijuana billboards, urging marketing focus on cleanliness.
- Consent Agenda Public Comment: Joyce Sanyata spoke on items 2-5, noting that items 3 and 4 draw from the general fund but expressed overall approval; she raised a concern about "unidentified funds" (Fund 9999) in item 5. Justine Murray, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Downtown San Diego Partnership, supported item 5, specifically reinstating the performance pavilion as essential for programming and safety.
- Item 6 (CPR1 Marketing Agreement) Public Comment: Joyce Sanyata expressed support for the agreement, thanking the department for its work.
- Item 7 (TMD Report) Public Comment: Joyce Sanyata praised the report, noting the 32.8 million visitors and requested partnership to channel tourism revenue into the city budget.
Discussion Items
- Item 6: Resolution Authorizing Marketing Partnership with CPR1 LLC — Sarah Brennan (Assistant Deputy Director, Economic Development) and Mo O'Connor (Program Manager, San Diego Fire Rescue) presented the proposed agreement. The two-year initial term (with three one-year renewal options) secures a $150,000 annual marketing fee for the Fire Rescue EMS Fund, plus discounted AED pricing. CPR1 will be the city's official AED partner, providing brand recognition and outreach support. The program has deployed over 11,000 AEDs and saved 221 lives since 2001. Councilmember Campbell moved to accept staff's recommendation; Chair Campillo seconded, noting the partnership provides $150,000 annually at no taxpayer cost and has generated approximately $4 million historically.
- Item 7: Fiscal Year 2025 San Diego Tourism Marketing District Annual Performance Report — Angelica Paulino (Community Development Specialist), Colleen Anderson (Executive Director, TMD), and Carrie Kapich (COO, San Diego Tourism Authority) presented the report. Key metrics: TMD funding generated 6.6 million hotel room nights and nearly $1.4 billion in room revenue, achieving a 27.7:1 return on investment. The Tourism Authority delivered 6.4 million room nights (28:1 ROI). Challenges include inflation, policy uncertainty, and softened international travel; San Diego ranked #4 in hotel occupancy nationally. New campaigns include "Come to the Bright Side" and family-focused initiatives. Sports San Diego generated 107,000 room nights. Upcoming global events (FIFA World Cup 2026, LA Olympics 2028) present opportunities. The report is for information only; no vote was taken.
- Chair's Remarks: Chair Campillo acknowledged the U.S. Supreme Court's striking down of retaliatory tariffs, aligning with the city's legislative platform, and recognized Rip Riperto (CEO of the Convention Center) for his service.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda (Items 1-5): Approved 3-0. No general fund impact for Items 2 and 5; Items 3 and 4 use general fund dollars. The East Village Green Phase One amendment includes reinstatement of the performance pavilion.
- Item 6 (CPR1 Marketing Agreement): Motion by Councilmember Campbell, seconded by Chair Campillo, approved 3-0. The resolution authorizes the agreement for an initial two-year term with three one-year renewal options and authorizes the CFO to accept the $150,000 annual fee.
- Item 7 (TMD Report): Received as information; no action required. The next regularly scheduled meeting is March 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the special economic development and intergovernmental relations committee meeting of February 20th, 2026. Our committee liaison Sarah Jordan will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. Thank you, Chair Kempio. While members of the public are able to attend the meeting in person, this meeting 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. Thank you. I will now call the meeting to order. Uh Vice Chair Lee will be absent today. City uh councilmember Campbell. Here. Councilmember Foster. Here. And I am also present, present with us as well as Noah Fleischmann, our senior fiscal and policy analyst from the Office of the IBA, Deputy City Attorney Brian Bjun from the Office of the City Attorney, and Chris Ackerman, Avila, policy advisor from the Office of the Mayor. Sarah, let's please continue with the instructions. Thank you, Chair. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the tray indicated 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, and 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. Inputting webinar ID 160-340-6084 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and it will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 channel, channel 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 called participant by pressing start iron on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you, Sarah, for reviewing those instructions for the benefit of the public. A quorum is present, so we'll take up non-agenda public comment. The 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. Thank you, Chair Campio. Good morning. Thank you very much. A lot of times you could use incentives. Obviously, you go into different buildings, you have long term midterm leases. But I know I think Gary London has looked at the possibility you could get in at a very reduced, well, obviously, you have to get it out of bankruptcy because of the number of liens, but it could be done. That's probably not going to work. So please look within your own uh budget restrictions. Thank you very much. Thank you for your testimony. That concludes comment here in chambers. So I'll begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to provide non-agenda public comment. We will begin testimony with Blair Beekman. Please unmute and begin. Hi, thank you. Uh Blair Beekman.
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