San Diego Environment Committee Meeting - July 21, 2022
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San Diego Environment Committee Meeting - July 21, 2022
The Environment Committee of the City of San Diego met on July 21, 2022, at 1 p.m. (local time) under Chair Joel Lacava. The committee approved consent items, considered a $20 million change order for the Pure Water Morena Pump Station, debated and passed the Zero Emissions Municipal Buildings and Operations Policy (Zembop) with an amendment on leased buildings, and approved a contract amendment for electrification assessments. All votes were 4-0.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (4-0) the award of a contract to ADS Corp for wastewater flow monitoring equipment, software, and services (RFP 10089830-22-J).
- Approved unanimously (4-0) the award of a contract to Southwest Pipeline and Trenchless Corporation for as-needed cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining (RFP 10089822-22-J).
Public Comments & Testimony
Non-Agenda Public Comments
- Terry Ann Skelly (property owner in Barrio Logan) expressed concern about secondhand smoke from tobacco and marijuana wafting into homes; urged city to adopt smoke-free public places, noting that other affluent cities in the county have such ordinances.
- Jack Fernandez (attorney and biotech entrepreneur, District 2) criticized the pace of climate action implementation, warning that tens of thousands of low-income residents could be left behind; called for affordable housing near transit and attention to the Tijuana sewage crisis.
- John Botteroff (CleanEarth4Kids.org) thanked the city for addressing single-use plastics, asked for expansion of the ordinance to ban synthetic turf and for a city ordinance prohibiting smoking and vaping in multi-unit housing.
- Suzanne Hume (CleanEarth4Kids.org) urged alternatives to fireworks (e.g., light shows) to avoid toxic pollution, and asked the city to stop toxic pesticides through an integrated pest management ordinance.
- Becky Rapp (concerned parent and public health educator) supported the flavored tobacco ban and suggested the city also ban flavored marijuana products.
Item 3 – Morena Pump Station Change Order
- Michael Schmidt (public comment via Zoom) asked about the pump station location and the groundwater situation; no further substantive comment.
Item 4 – Zero Emissions Municipal Buildings and Operations Policy (Zembop)
- Carl Aldinger (Sierra Club San Diego) expressed strong support for the policy but urged faster implementation, noting that the city has been planning for years; recommended beginning ESCO projects now and avoiding virtual PPAs.
- Kelly Linden (San Diego Building Electrification Coalition) supported the policy but requested amendments: define "emergency function" exemptions, require public justification for any exemptions, and ensure exempted solutions eliminate natural gas infrastructure.
- Serena Pelka (Climate Action Campaign) commended the work but said the policy and implementation plan fall short; called for covering leased buildings, removing emergency shelter exemptions, and providing a real timeline with metrics.
- Suzanne Hume (CleanEarth4Kids.org) supported the policy with amendments from the San Diego Building Electrification Coalition and Sierra Club; specifically asked to include leased properties, remove blanket emergency shelter exemptions, and require public process for exemptions.
- Christina Marquez (IBEW Local 569) supported the policy, emphasizing that a skilled, union workforce is ready to install solar, EV charging, and other infrastructure; urged requirements for electricians to do the work.
- Sean Kiony Ellis (United Association Local 230) expressed support for the policy but wanted more emphasis on landfill gas and renewable natural gas for baseload energy.
Item 5 – Kitchell CEM Contract Amendment
- No public comments.
Discussion Items
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Item 3 – Morena Pump Station Construction Change Order: Staff from Pure Water Phase 1 (James Negelvoort, Akram Bazuni) presented a dewatering challenge at the Marina Pump Station site. Despite pumping up to 1.1 million gallons per day (against anticipated 860,000 gpd), the groundwater level remained unchanged. The recommended solution is a secant pile wall and jet grouting to create a barrier (coffer dam) at a cost not to exceed $20 million, drawing from the $81 million pure water pooled contingency. The contractor is on day-for-day delay, threatening the June 2025 commissioning deadline if not approved quickly. Committee members questioned the cost, contingency adequacy, and schedule. The item was approved 4-0.
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Item 4 – Zero Emissions Municipal Buildings and Operations Policy (Zembop): Lindsay Haas (Sustainability & Mobility) presented the policy, which requires new municipal construction to be all-electric, triggers fuel switching during major renovations and natural gas system replacements, and mandates EV charging infrastructure. Exemptions exist for emergency functions and certain industrial operations. The policy also requires asset managers to develop fossil fuel elimination and fleet charging plans by January 1, 2024. Chair Lacava introduced an amendment to apply the policy to new leases or lease renewals after December 31, 2023. The Deputy Director of Real Estate and Management (Jorge Rubio) requested time to study the amendment before full council. After discussion, the amendment was included, and the full policy (with amendment) was approved 4-0, to go to City Council in September.
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Item 5 – First Amendment to Kitchell CEM Contract: Lindsay Haas requested adding two years and $3 million (total term: 7 years; total value: $4 million) to the contract for construction management services. The funds will support electrification assessments of city facilities and parking lots, providing inventory of gas-fired systems, alternative recommendations, and cost estimates to inform future planning and grant applications. Vice Chair Von Wilpert questioned the usefulness of cost estimates given price volatility, but staff noted they are needed for near-term grant applications. The contract amendment was approved 4-0.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar (items 1 & 2) approved 4-0.
- Morena Pump Station change order (item 3) approved 4-0, authorizing up to $20 million from pooled contingency.
- Zero Emissions Municipal Buildings and Operations Policy (item 4) approved 4-0 with an amendment to apply to new leases after December 31, 2023; staff will report back at full council in September.
- Kitchell CEM contract amendment (item 5) approved 4-0.
- The committee will be dark in August; next meeting is September 15, 2022, at 1 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
This is gonna be the best day of my life. Okay, we're gonna get started in just a second. Bear with us. Okay, let's get started. So good afternoon and welcome to the July twenty first, twenty twenty-second meeting of the City of San Diego Environment Committee. I'm Joel Lacava, Council Member for District One and Chair of the Committee. Until further notice, committee meetings will be conducted pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code Section five four nine five three E added by Assembly Bill three six one, which allows the city to use teleconferencing and to provide the public an opportunity to address the city council via calling option or an internet based service option during a proclaimed state of emergency. While the public is allowed to attend the meetings in person, we encourage you to maintain six feet of social distance, as well as follow California mass guidelines where masks are strongly recommended. Excuse me, within five minutes after the conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. Vice Chair Von Wilbert. Present. Committee member Campbell. Here. Committee member Campillo? Here. And I am here as well. So all members are present and we have a quorum. And to our two colleagues that are here remotely, please do not feel free to uh shout out in case I don't see your hand being raised, uh, since there's there's two of you now. Uh all also participating in the meeting are Jordan Moore, Office of the Independent Budget Analyst, Deputy City Attorney Nicole Dino, Randy Wilde, Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Mayor Tagloria, and Committee Consultant Brian Elliott. Brian will now go over instructions for participating in the meeting. Thank you, Chair. 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 lecture and at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. 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. 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, please dial 1669-2545252 when prompted, input webinar ID 161-532-0355 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Members of the public who wish to provide testimony via a call-in or an internet-based service option must enter the virtual speaking queue within five minutes after the conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. Please note that if you are 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. When I introduce the item you would like to comment on, please 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'll be taken in the order which you raise your hand. You may only speak once on a particular item. When I indicate it is your turn to speak, I will call you by your name as it appears on the Zoom webinar attendee list, or read out the last four digits of your phone number if you have called in to the meeting. That is how you will know it is your turn to speak. If you are in person, please come up to the reserve seats at the front of the room when your name is called and be prepared to come up to the lectern in the order called. If you have joined the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone, you will receive a pop-up notice to select to unmute your device. If you have called into the meeting by cell phone or landline, press star six on your phone to unmute yourself. We will review these instructions briefly again when the public comment period 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. Chair Lakava. Thank you, Brian. Uh quorum is now present. We will now dispense with the approval of the committee actions of June 23rd, 2022 and June 30th, 2022. Brian, do we have any public comment on this item? The public comment for this item is now open. If you are in person, please be sure to have your speaker slip submitted and come up to the reserve seats at the front of the room when your name is called and be prepared to come up to the electorate in the order called.
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