San Diego Environment Committee Meeting - January 20, 2022
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San Diego Environment Committee Meeting - January 20, 2022
The Environment Committee of the San Diego City Council met virtually on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at 1 p.m. Chair Joe Lacava presided with Vice Chair Marni Von Wilpert, Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, and Councilmember Sean Campillo. The meeting was held via Zoom and televised. The committee took action on three items: leashed dog access at Mission Bay Park, a contract amendment for the San Vicente Hydroelectric Pumped Storage Project, and the undergrounding memorandum of understanding with SDG&E. It also heard an informational update on the utilities undergrounding program and discussed the 2022 work plan.
Call to Order and Committee Actions
- All four members were present virtually. The committee unanimously approved the committee actions from November 18, 2021.
Non-Agenda Public Comments
- Lori Saldagna criticized the committee for not allowing public comment on prior committee actions, urged activation of the citizen task force for a public power feasibility study that was allocated $1 million, asked for stronger support for rooftop solar, and encouraged the committee to hear from San Diego Community Power.
- Kathleen Lippett highlighted environmental justice concerns, stating that low-income communities bear disproportionate pollution burdens and that the city often defers to special interests.
- John Leake questioned why marine wildlife management was not listed as a committee priority, specifically the sea lion rookery in La Jolla.
- John Bodaroff and Suzanne Hume, representing CleanEarth4Kids, called for a ban on toxic synthetic pesticides and fertilizers on city-owned lands and golf courses, citing health risks to children and citing statistics about the toxicity of wood smoke.
Item 2: Leashed Dog Access at Mission Bay Park (Action)
- Staff from the Parks and Recreation Department presented a proposal to amend Municipal Code Section 63.20.12. The change would simplify seasonal leash restrictions and adopt a year-round prohibition from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while adding exemptions for guide, service, and signal dogs in training consistent with state law. The current rules prohibited leashed dogs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer. The change was brought forward with support from the Pacific Beach Town Council, the Mission Bay Park Committee, and the Parks and Recreation Board. The fiscal impact is approximately $10,000 for signage.
- Public speakers, including Marcella Bothwell (president of the Pacific Beach Town Council), Marshall Anderson (Mission Bay Park Committee), and Andrew Meyer (San Diego Audubon Society), supported the change. Meyer emphasized that the proposal applies to leashed dogs and urged continued management of off-leash dogs. Laurie Saldania supported the consistency and suggested extending similar rules citywide.
- Councilmember Jennifer Campbell made a motion to approve the staff recommendation, seconded by Councilmember Sean Campillo. The motion passed unanimously, 4-0.
Item 3: San Vicente Hydroelectric Pumped Storage Project – Energy Market Expert Contract Amendment (Action)
- Juan Guerrero, Executive Assistant Director of the Public Utilities Department, requested authorization for the fourth amendment to the sole-source agreement with Dr. David Victor. The project, a 500-megawatt long-duration energy storage facility proposed jointly with the San Diego County Water Authority, could generate up to $3 billion in net revenues and provide power for approximately 135,000 homes. Dr. Victor has been a consultant since 2014; the contract currently totals $480,000 and expires August 2022. The amendment would extend the term to August 2025 and add $200,000 from the water utility operating fund. State funding of $18 million received in July 2021 is advancing the project through initial design and licensing.
- Public comment came from Lori Saldania, who voiced support but urged the city to activate a citizen task force for its public power study, saying a $1 million allocation appears unused.
- Councilmember Campillo moved to approve the amendment. Councilmember Marni Von Wilpert said she would vote no because of concerns about consultant financial disclosure and lack of information about the billing rate; staff later confirmed Dr. Victor's rate is $210 per hour. Councilmember Campbell asked whether information could be shared with San Diego Community Power. The motion passed 3-1, with Von Wilpert voting no.
Item 5: Status of Utilities Undergrounding Program (Information)
- Gene Matter, Assistant Director of the Transportation Department, provided an informational update. The city has approximately 1,200 miles of overhead utility lines remaining to underground. The work credit balance at the start of calendar year 2021 was about $105 million, and the surcharge fund balance was $171 million. Annual revenue from SDG&E franchise fees is between $60 million and $80 million. In fiscal year 2021, the city completed 8.7 miles of undergrounding. Nineteen projects are ready to move forward once a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) is adopted. The CPUC has decided to stop issuing Rule 20A work credits at the end of calendar year 2022, though the program may continue after a second-phase review.
- Public comments included frustration from a Claremont resident about long delays, a Pacific Beach resident who submitted 170 petitions from seniors concerned about low-hanging wires, concerns from Ann Fage (Community Forest Advisory Board) about tree protection, and from Catherine Rhodes about the high fund balance and lack of a project schedule. Several speakers urged more transparent project lists and coordination with mobility and tree canopy improvements.
- Councilmembers discussed the high fund balance, the lack of projects in Linda Vista, and the need for wildfire risk prioritization. No formal action was required.
Item 4: Undergrounding Memorandum of Understanding with SDG&E (Action)
- Staff and representatives from SDG&E presented the new MOU required under the franchise agreement adopted in summer 2021. Key provisions include a compliance review committee with citizen members appointed by the City Council, improved cost transparency, competitive bidding requirements, and detailed project coordination. SDG&E will need significant internal changes, including a new accounting structure and procurement practices, with a six-to-nine-month startup period. A list of ten legacy projects will continue under the old MOU terms to avoid further delays.
- Public comment included appeals for strong tree protections (Ann Fage), cost control and distributed energy resource considerations (Jay Powell), workforce diversity (Lori Saldania), and completion timelines and local hire requirements (Catherine Rhodes).
- Councilmember Campillo offered amendments to incorporate wildfire risk data from the city's Climate Resilient SD plan and SDG&E's meteorology team, and to require communication with council district offices. Both city staff and SDG&E agreed. Councilmember Campbell made the motion to approve with amendments, seconded by Councilmember Campillo. The motion passed unanimously, 4-0.
Item 1: 2022 Environment Committee Work Plan and Priorities (Action)
- Chair Lacava explained that committee members submitted priorities by January 7, and a public survey is open in English and Spanish until February 4. He noted a strong response.
- More than a dozen public speakers offered priorities. Many urged a needs assessment for the Multiple Habitat Planning Area (MHPA) and the Subarea Plan, including representatives from San Diego Canyonlands, Sierra Club, Friends of Rose Canyon, and others. Youth speakers, including members of Youth for Oil, requested afternoon/evening meeting times and a resolution supporting a statewide phase-out of oil drilling. Others called for climate action plan implementation, building electrification, urban forest management, stormwater funding, and restoration of advisory boards.
- Vice Chair Von Wilpert made a motion to direct staff to work with the chair to develop the work plan, seconded by Councilmember Campillo. The motion passed unanimously, 4-0.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimously approved the Mission Bay leashed dog ordinance amendment (4-0).
- Approved the contract amendment with Dr. David Victor (3-1, Vice Chair Von Wilpert voting no).
- Unanimously approved the undergrounding MOU with SDG&E, including Councilmember Campillo's amendments (4-0).
- Unanimously approved the motion to develop the 2022 work plan (4-0).
- The committee adjourned until its next regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, February 17, 2022, at 1 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Start with the zooms. All right, I will go ahead and make the webinar live. Chair, you may be you may begin. Okay, it's one o'clock. All right, good afternoon, and welcome to the first environment committee meeting of 2022. Ocaba council member for district one and chair of the environment committee. Which allows the city to use teleconferencing and to provide the public an opportunity to address the city council committee via call-in option or an internet based service option. The committee members will be participating via Zoom, and no members of the public will be in attendance at the meeting in the interest of public health and safety. In addition, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website. And the committee liaison has made arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. We appreciate the public's cooperation. We will go over the specifics about how to join the webinar and give details on how the public can offer their testimony. Therefore, I call the environment committee meeting of January 20th, 2022 to order. Let's call the roll. Vice Chair Von Wilpert. Council Member Campbell. Present. Councilmember Campillo. And I am present, so we have a full house. All members are present. Each committee member is attending virtually. Also on the virtual meeting are Aaron Noel, Office of the Independent Budget Analyst, Deputy City Attorney Nicole Danow and Randy Wilde, Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Mayor Todd Gloria. Committee consultant Brian Elliott is out of town. And so Vicky Jose, my chief of staff will now be going over the instructions for joining the meeting. Vicki. Thank you, Chair. The public may view the meeting on public television on City TV channel 24 for Cox Communication and Spectrum or Channel 99 for ATT Uverse, or view the meetings online by going to City Council, the City Council homepage at San Diego.gov and selecting the City TV live webcast button on the right hand side of the page. The committee meetings will be held virtually using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of public can offer public comment on items by accessing the Zoom webinar online using a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, or by calling into the meeting using a smartphone, cellular phone, or landline. The link to join the committee meeting webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone is listed on the agenda. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, you may dial 1669 254 5252. When prompted, please input webinar ID 160532 0355 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each item. When the chair introduces you, excuse me, when the chair introduces the item you would like to comment on, you will raise your hand by either tapping the raise your hand button on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, or by pressing star nine on your phone. You will be taken in the order in which you raise your hand, and you may only speak once on a particular item. When I indicate it is your turn to speak, I will call on you by your name as it appears on the Zoom webinar attendee list, or I will read out the last four digits of your phone number if you have called into the meeting. This is how you will know it is your turn to speak. If you have joined the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone, you will receive a pop-up notice to select the unmute your device. If you have called into the meeting by cell phone or by landline, press star six on the phone to unmute yourself. We will review these instructions briefly again when the public comment period uh on an item is open. Please wait until the item you wish to speak to has been called before raising your hand to speak. 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. Also, please mute the volume on your TV or computer before you begin to speak. Thank you. Chair Lacava Thank you, Vicky. A quorum is now present, and we will begin by dispensing with the approval of the committee action of November 18th, 2021. Do I have a motion to approve the committee actions? So move, Chair. And I'll second.
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