San Diego City Council Meeting Summary - September 13, 2018
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
San Diego City Council Meeting Summary - September 13, 2018
The San Diego City Council met on September 13, 2018, to discuss items related to solid waste management, recycling, and stormwater maintenance. The meeting included public comments, approval of consent calendar items, and unanimous votes on several action items.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the record of action items from the August 2, 2018 meeting by unanimous consent.
- Approved consent items 1 through 5 unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Martha Welch spoke during non-agenda public comment, criticizing the city's sewer system as outdated and accusing the city of lying about its management.
- Jerry Rivero (Environmental Health Coalition) gave an update on the Barrio Logan Clean Air and Safe Streets Ordinance (truck route), noting a unanimous committee vote on April 12, 2018, and requesting a clear timeline and commitment from the city to prioritize the route.
- Jim Ambrosa (Resource Management Group) supported the proposed franchise agreement amendments, emphasizing the impact of China's National Sword policy and urging continuation of organics programs.
- Clarissa Falcon (Dart Container) expressed support for the seventh amendment to the curbside processing contract and offered a public-private partnership to help with transportation costs and connect recycled polystyrene to domestic markets.
- Clarissa Falcon (on Item 6, representing Biomed Realty) praised the stormwater department for its work on Roselle Street flooding and advocated for a holistic approach to channel maintenance.
Discussion Items
Item 9: District Exclusive Collection Study
- Mario Sierra (ESD) and Ken Prue presented the R3 consulting study comparing the current non-exclusive system to a districted exclusive system. Staff recommended against a districted system due to negative impacts on small haulers and customer rates, as seen in Los Angeles.
- Instead, staff negotiated with haulers to incorporate key benefits: 100% alternative fuel packer trucks by 2025, roll-off trucks by 2028; road impact mitigation via a $1/ton franchise fee increase in 2019 and again in 2022 (each generating $800,000/year for the general fund); extension of agreement terms from 7 to 12 years (through 2030); and no increase in diversion requirements beyond 50% by 2020 due to market uncertainty.
- Councilmember Gomez questioned whether the fee increase could be directed to road maintenance; city attorney stated fees go to the general fund and cannot be earmarked.
- Motion to receive the report and accept staff recommendation carried unanimously.
Item 10: Amendments to Non-Exclusive Solid Waste Franchise Agreements
- Ken Prue presented amendments mirroring the negotiated elements from Item 9: 12-year term, alternative fuel vehicle requirements, road impact fees, and flexibility on diversion requirements.
- Chair Alvarez expressed concern about the long term given market uncertainty, but Jim Madaffer (San Diego County Disposal Association) explained the longer term is needed to amortize equipment investments.
- Councilmember Gomez moved to approve staff recommendation and asked the city attorney to explore directing the $1/ton fee increase to road maintenance.
- Motion carried unanimously.
Item 7: Seventh Amendment to Curbside Materials Processing Contract
- Ken Prue detailed the impact of China's National Sword policy: recycling revenue dropped from $4 million in FY17 to $3 million in FY18, with FY19 budgeted at $0. The amendment suspends guaranteed revenue and modifies revenue sharing to ensure the city is revenue-neutral at worst; no payments are made to the contractor.
- Councilmember Sherman moved to approve the amendment and requested the mayor's office work with industry on a public-private partnership for polystyrene recycling. Chair Alvarez noted the partnership discussion was not agendized but allowed the motion.
- Motion carried unanimously.
Item 8: Miramar Recycling Center Service Contract Amendment
- Ken Prue presented the eighth amendment to extend the contract with Allen Company through December 31, 2022, and require installation of a $500,000 stormwater management system. The facility serves 125,000 customers annually and generates nearly $15,000/month in rent.
- Motion to approve carried unanimously.
Item 6: Stormwater System Maintenance Annual Report (Informational)
- Drew Kleist, Christine Rothman, and Roger Womack presented on channel maintenance efforts in FY18 (Tijuana River Pilot, Smugglers Gulch, Salola Channel), planned work for FY19/20, wetland mitigation costs ($350,000–$575,000 per acre), and winter storm preparations (pump station checks, pre-storm sweeping, road closure gates).
- Council members inquired about specific channels (Nestor Creek, South Choyas, Alvarado Creek) and mitigation bank purchases.
- No action required; the item was informational.
Key Outcomes
- All action items (consent, items 9, 10, 7, 8) were approved unanimously.
- Direction given to staff to provide a written update on the Barrio Logan truck route.
- City attorney directed to investigate directing the franchise fee increase to road maintenance.
- Mayor's office to work with industry on a polystyrene recycling partnership.
- Informational report on stormwater maintenance received.
Meeting Transcript
Today we have uh a busy agenda and uh we will get started with today's today's agenda. We have council members all of our council members present, which are council member Gomez, Kate, and Sherman. Thank you all for being here. First thing on the agenda is the approval of the record of action items for our August 2nd, 2018 meeting. Uh that will be approved by unanimous consent uh since I don't see any comments or questions on uh the adoption of the uh record of action items. All right, we will go on to non-agenda public comment. We have a uh member of the couple members of the public who wish to speak on an item uh not on today's agenda. We'll start with Martha Welch. You'll have two minutes. And then Jerry Rivero will come afterwards. Martha Welch, I bet Point Loma is once the county, then they went to the city. Uh yesterday is a uh uh the agenda uh um um the supervisors, yes. I went to the uh office and they told me now it's meant um cities, but how could that be? So um all these uh um can't do that. That's fine. You know why? They're lying. My case with the FI, that's where the supervisor, that's what I did with them. Um also um the county and the state. Um every county in the state has seward, but not here. Not here. Now, I bet you do some um can't come. I know that the man uh right now the feds are mad at you because you always build something all the time, you know. They know about that also. You know, uh right now I think you have this really old system. But um you lie, um dry seward. That's what you do. Now you be feds are on this island, but this is so old, it's antique. And um it's not right. It's um now we have these channels and rivers, they're not filtered or anything goes to the ocean. You don't care about the ocean, see. Now, what this is so antique and it's been gone years and years. This is not a real system. You know, upgrade or what do you do? It's the county's problem, but you do it also. You know, um the feds are so mad the city and you because Bill Horn right now can't bail um by a cell phone. No, no uh after five and weekends, no calls. Um this is um I tweet the FBI every day what goes on here also. Um I'm in touch with them when they go. I'm not afraid to say everything I know. I've been guessing for three years, goes in this county in the city. And this is wrong what you do because this is an antique thing. If you're proud of this, that's wrong. Every city has uh sewer plants or something more aggressive, and you don't do anything, you don't care about the ocean, you don't care about the people, you don't care what that happens to people. You don't care if the people care or not. You hide this stuff, you're not proud, why don't you say right in front of what you do, but you don't. You must be must be shame. But if you're ashamed of this, why don't you change it? It's now again it's a county problem. I know this pay they have a problem with the county.
openpublica.com