OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting - September 2, 2026

Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee — Wednesday, September 2, 2026
BodySan Diego, California
SessionEconomic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee
DateWednesday, September 2, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:11:46

Transcript — Verbatim
1:47

Good afternoon.

1:48

Welcome.

1:50

That's right.

1:51

Good afternoon.

1:52

Welcome to the economic development and intergovernmental relations committee meeting of September 2nd, 2026.

1:56

Our committee liaison Sarah Jordan will provide information and instruction to the public to participate in today's meeting.

2:02

Thank you, Chair Campio.

2:03

While members of the public are able to attend this meeting in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform.

2:13

Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes.

2:18

This queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first.

2:25

This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business.

2:30

We appreciate the public's cooperation.

2:36

Councilmember Campbell.

2:38

Councilmember Foster.

2:39

And I am also present, also presence Noah Fleischmann, senior fiscal and policy analyst from the IBA.

2:44

Deputy City Attorney Brian Bune from the Office of City Attorney.

2:47

Chris Ackerman Avila, policy advisor from the office of the mayor.

2:49

Sarah, please continue with the instructions.

3:47

If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered.

3:50

Thank you, Sarah for reviewing the instructions.

3:53

Let's take up non-agenda public comment.

3:55

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.

5:00

But you uh and I'm gonna, you know, keep beating this until the cows come home because it's like you guys are engaging in contracts with these billionaires, and our data is going to them, money is going to them.

5:10

We're we're giving them hundred like billions of dollars potentially through different contracts, and they are having a monopoly on all of these contracts.

5:20

And so I just find it weird that we continue to give our data and our money to the people that you complain about.

5:27

Because you don't look, I mean, you you're not looking at these entities like open gov, which is attached to Larry Fink and the founders' fund and things like that, the flock cameras, all of the um you know, different uh just programs that you have.

5:43

If you look into it, it's not hard to find who is at the top of that.

5:48

And so I just don't understand how on one hand you can sit here and say that you want the local economy to grow when people are just trying to survive and giving their money to billionaires that you guys complain about not paying their taxes.

6:03

Um at what point are you gonna be concerned about those that you contract with and where that information is going and whether or not it is safe for the government to get into these contracts with people who have monopolies and can take the government to its knees in one swoop.

6:20

I mean, it's just very concerning um that we focus on Trump, but it's like that's Trump's money man, Larry Fink.

6:29

And like this goes into the Epstein type of things.

6:32

So it's just concerning that you guys won't look at that and that you're wasting our money in that manner.

6:38

Thank you.

6:39

Joyce and Yata, economics from Google, the study of how people, businesses, and governments make choices to allocate limited resources to satisfy their unlimited wants.

6:58

End of quote from Google.

7:02

It's not rocket science, folks.

7:05

Yet it seems our city for years have buried our pluses and minuses in complexity.

7:13

Where we are almost to the tipping point where we can't find our way out of the financial of the funnel spiral.

7:25

Every day it seems the red flags get more and more visible and the voices get louder and louder.

7:32

I myself am struggling with how to pivot my perspective on the situation that we have here in our government.

7:41

There are more arteries of concern than there are arteries in our human body.

7:46

Yet the body has the heart center.

7:49

So do we have an artery problem?

7:54

The heart.

8:01

Um the feeling heart spoke to us on all sides at City Council yesterday regarding the L needle prep.

8:11

I believe we were on the right path out of the downroll spiral.

8:18

Uh I want to catch what I left off here.

8:21

I forgot to number my pages.

8:23

Uh, do we have an artery problem or a heart problem?

8:26

My choice would be a heart center problem.

8:29

As fire chief Logan knows and has said to us, let's con it's it's about connecting the thinking with the feeling, the heart with the mind.

8:40

So that's where I'm at with this.

8:42

It's we need to go back to the heart center and really care about each other each other and the what we would fight for.

8:50

Love to all.

8:51

Thank you.

8:52

Our next speaker is Maximilian Schmidt, and you will be followed by Lori Saldania.

8:59

Um suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds, and there's almost a million uh suicides occurring annually on the planet.

9:13

And there is an underground holy war going on between occultists and Christians, and um people of all different faith groups who are not in the occult.

9:24

And occultists are driving these people insane and driving them to suicide by teleporting around them, getting them to question their free will, and um basically uh making them psychotic and insane and depressed and suicidal.

9:40

They're also uh trying to say because we can teleport, we can also see into the future as a um dark psychology strategy to make someone depressed.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Comment█████████████████████████████████33%
Affordable Housing████████████████16%
Mental Health Awareness████████8%
Flood Management██████6%
Cannabis Regulation██████6%
Community Development Block Grants██████6%
Procedural████4%
Public Health███3%
Public Services███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting - September 2, 2026

The Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee met on September 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM. The meeting was chaired by Councilmember Campio, with Councilmembers Campbell, Foster, and Council President Pro Tem Lee present. Staff from the Economic Development Department, City Attorney's Office, and the Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) also attended. The committee addressed non-agenda public comment, a consent agenda (approval of minutes and a housing project amendment), and an informational presentation on the Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for HUD programs.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 1: Approval of the committee minutes of July 8, 2026. Passed unanimously.
  • Item 2: First amendment to the regulatory agreement and loan documents for the 17th and Commercial Apartments (Father Joe's Village). Passed unanimously.
  • Both items were approved without discussion or pull from the consent agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

Non-Agenda Public Comment:

  • A speaker (name not given) expressed concern about the city contracting with billionaires and monopolies, citing data privacy and financial waste.
  • Joyce Sanyata urged the committee to connect thinking and feeling, referencing a "heart center" approach.
  • Maximilian Schmidt spoke about suicide rates and alleged occult attacks, requesting FOIA requests and yoga for mental health.
  • Lori Saldania presented on flood risks in the Midway area, noting FEMA maps show high flood risk, unaccredited levees, and the inability to purchase flood insurance. She warned that sea level rise and groundwater pumping could increase costs and risks for new housing.
  • Kathleen Lippett discussed the problem of unpermitted vendors on beaches, noting state law limits city enforcement. She suggested partnering with the county to enforce food safety codes.
  • Becky Rapp asked about marijuana sales tax revenue and economic benefits, requesting public data on revenue and costs.
  • Crypto Bradley criticized city leases, citing a $50/month tenant court lease earning $7 million, and requested an IBA audit of all city leases.
  • Madison expressed concern about concentration of cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol businesses near schools and parks, urging public health impact consideration in licensing.
  • Natalie Ratchke spoke about conscious awareness, nervous system regulation, and proposed a soccer methodology for youth and revenue.
  • Judy Strang promoted Red Ribbon Week activities, citing research on marijuana's impact on academic achievement.
  • Terry Ann Skelly advocated for reducing marijuana business influence, including removing billboards, citing public health and economic costs.
  • Blair Beekman supported Lori Saldania's comments on sea level rise and called for open dialogue on 9/11 and global conflicts.

Consent Agenda Public Comment:

  • Audra criticized the minutes for not accurately reflecting speaker comments, and expressed concern about the 17th and Commercial Apartments project, citing potential funding cuts and lack of guarantees for housing vouchers.
  • Lori Saldania reiterated flood risks at the 17th and Imperial site, noting past flooding at the nearby shelter and the need for climate risk assessment.
  • Joyce Sanyata welcomed the new Office of Race and Equity staff and expressed conditional support for the project, noting the environmental impact report and climate action plan compliance.
  • Blair Beekman supported improving minutes and mentioned tech accountability for the convention center.
  • Natalie Ratchke commented on systemic collapse, housing development stacking poverty, and the need for conscious development.

Information Item (Item 3) Public Comment:

  • Audra criticized Dreams for Change Safe Parking site, alleging poor conditions and abuse, and accused NGOs of profiting from immigration and homelessness.
  • Joyce Sanyata questioned the city's relationship with HUD and called for transparency and monitoring.
  • Lori Saldania urged consideration of climate change impacts on affordable housing locations, citing the Coliseum Connections flooding in Oakland.
  • Blair Beekman supported Lori's comments, asked about connecting HUD programs to immediate housing needs, and suggested middle-income housing experiments.
  • Crypto Bradley argued for aligning with Trump on immigration enforcement to free up housing for qualified Americans.
  • Natalie Ratchke criticized HUD's history with Native American tribes, expressed distrust, and called for taxing wealth transactions.
  • John Brady (Lived Experience Advisors) noted the growth of the O lot shelter to 600 tents without adequate amenities, and urged surveying clients to measure program effectiveness.

Discussion Items

  • Item 3: Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for HUD Programs
    • Melissa Villopondo and Nadine Hassoon from the Economic Development Department presented the draft CAPER covering July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
    • The report summarizes expenditures and outcomes for CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs. Total investment: over $48.8 million in federal funds.
    • Key outcomes: 63,867 people served, 386 households, 363 businesses, improvements to 1 nonprofit and 7 public facilities.
    • Achievements included: 33 households from new affordable rental housing (e.g., Paul Downey Senior Residences with 11 HOME units); 363 small businesses supported via microenterprise technical assistance; infrastructure projects (e.g., Dreams for Change Safe Parking site rehabilitation); homelessness services (1.7 million invested, 500+ individuals served); 19 public service projects benefiting 7,080 individuals.
    • Staff conducted 800+ desk audits and 71 technical assistance meetings. The city also prioritized projects in high-resource areas through the Bridge to Home program.
    • The draft CAPER is available for public comment through September 15, 2026, and will be presented to the city council on September 22, 2026.
    • No action was required; the item was informational.

Key Outcomes

  • The consent agenda (items 1 and 2) was approved unanimously by the four committee members present.
  • No votes were taken on the informational item.
  • The committee received the CAPER presentation and will consider public comments before final submission to HUD.
  • The next regularly scheduled meeting is October 7, 2026, at 2:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. Welcome. That's right. Good afternoon. Welcome to the economic development and intergovernmental relations committee meeting of September 2nd, 2026. Our committee liaison Sarah Jordan will provide information and instruction to the public to participate in today's meeting. Thank you, Chair Campio. While members of the public are able to attend this meeting in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and 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. Councilmember Campbell. Councilmember Foster. And I am also present, also presence Noah Fleischmann, senior fiscal and policy analyst from the IBA. Deputy City Attorney Brian Bune from the Office of City Attorney. Chris Ackerman Avila, policy advisor from the office of the mayor. Sarah, please continue with the instructions. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Thank you, Sarah for reviewing the instructions. Let's 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. But you uh and I'm gonna, you know, keep beating this until the cows come home because it's like you guys are engaging in contracts with these billionaires, and our data is going to them, money is going to them. We're we're giving them hundred like billions of dollars potentially through different contracts, and they are having a monopoly on all of these contracts. And so I just find it weird that we continue to give our data and our money to the people that you complain about. Because you don't look, I mean, you you're not looking at these entities like open gov, which is attached to Larry Fink and the founders' fund and things like that, the flock cameras, all of the um you know, different uh just programs that you have. If you look into it, it's not hard to find who is at the top of that. And so I just don't understand how on one hand you can sit here and say that you want the local economy to grow when people are just trying to survive and giving their money to billionaires that you guys complain about not paying their taxes. Um at what point are you gonna be concerned about those that you contract with and where that information is going and whether or not it is safe for the government to get into these contracts with people who have monopolies and can take the government to its knees in one swoop. I mean, it's just very concerning um that we focus on Trump, but it's like that's Trump's money man, Larry Fink. And like this goes into the Epstein type of things. So it's just concerning that you guys won't look at that and that you're wasting our money in that manner. Thank you. Joyce and Yata, economics from Google, the study of how people, businesses, and governments make choices to allocate limited resources to satisfy their unlimited wants. End of quote from Google. It's not rocket science, folks. Yet it seems our city for years have buried our pluses and minuses in complexity. Where we are almost to the tipping point where we can't find our way out of the financial of the funnel spiral. Every day it seems the red flags get more and more visible and the voices get louder and louder. I myself am struggling with how to pivot my perspective on the situation that we have here in our government. There are more arteries of concern than there are arteries in our human body. Yet the body has the heart center. So do we have an artery problem? The heart. Um the feeling heart spoke to us on all sides at City Council yesterday regarding the L needle prep. I believe we were on the right path out of the downroll spiral. Uh I want to catch what I left off here. I forgot to number my pages. Uh, do we have an artery problem or a heart problem? My choice would be a heart center problem.

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