San Diego Environment Committee Meeting Summary – April 11, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
San Diego Environment Committee Meeting – April 11, 2024
The San Diego City Council Environment Committee convened on April 11, 2024, with Chair Joel O'Cava (District 1) presiding, Vice Chair Marni Von Wilpert, and Councilmember Jennifer Campbell present; Council President Ilo Rivera was absent. The committee approved consent items, received updates on municipal energy savings performance contracting and Pure Water, and voted on water meter contracts. All votes were unanimous (3-0) unless noted.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the committee minutes of March 14, 2024 (3-0).
- Item 1: Authorized a contract with Carbon Activated Corporation for carbon tower odor removal and installation services at wastewater facilities.
- Item 2: Approved the first amendment with UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography to evaluate anthropogenic impacts on San Diego coastal kelp forest ecosystems from 2024 to 2029.
- Item 3: Authorized a contract with California Water Technologies to purchase ferrous chloride for wastewater treatment plants.
- Item 4: Authorized a contract with Camera Water Solutions to purchase ferric chloride for water and wastewater treatment plants. All consent items were approved together without objection.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-agenda public comment: Marina Thomas and Perita Javier (in-person, residents near a ceramics business) alleged that a residential ceramics operation is emitting toxic fumes and causing health problems. They appealed to the city and air pollution control district to revoke the business permit and amend municipal code.
- Non-agenda virtual comment: Terry Ann Skelly supported banning smoking in public places, citing tobacco's environmental damage and health risks. Peggy Walker opposed adding more marijuana businesses and urged smoke-free multi-unit housing. Kathleen Lippett opposed marijuana retail density, citing risks to youth. Judy Strang supported smoke-free public places and multi-unit housing for tobacco and marijuana. Clayton Rollins, Amador Portillo, and Aidan Conway (San Diego State students) urged the city to deploy trash skimmers in San Diego Bay to remove plastic and oil pollution.
- Consent agenda: Joy Sanyada (in-person) spoke on items 2–4, praising the kelp forest study and expressing concern about the cost of water treatment chemicals. Blair Beekman (virtual) spoke on item 2, asking the kelp study to connect with coastal erosion research.
- Item 11: Christina Marquez (IBEW Local 569) emphasized the need to hire certified C-10 electricians for energy performance contracts. Bernadette Buckwitz (SDG&E) highlighted collaboration on municipal energy strategy.
- Items 10, 5, and 6: Joy Sanyada expressed support for Pure Water, noting she is "on board" and will spread the word.
- Items 7, 8, and 9: Blair Beekman commented on smart meters, referencing prior audit issues and urging better public communication. A virtual speaker expressed concern that smart meters could allow the city to shut off water service, while staff later clarified that meters only measure usage.
Discussion Items
- Item 11 – Energy Savings Performance Contracting Update: Lindsay Hawes (Sustainability & Mobility) reported progress on the Zero Emissions Municipal Buildings and Operations Policy (ZEMBOP). The city selected Willdan as its first ESCO partner and identified Portfolio 1 opportunities at facilities such as Fire Station 20 and Carmel Mountain Ranch Library. Preliminary assessments show energy savings can offset costs of removing gas-burning equipment and installing solar and battery storage. A proposed contract is expected by the end of FY25. Councilmembers discussed the separate microgrid agreement and the timeline for future portfolios.
- Items 10, 5, and 6 – Pure Water Program Update and Change Orders: Amy Dorman and Alif Cheaton (Public Utilities) presented an update. The Point Loma permit renewal draft is out for public comment; the program has secured $1.4 billion in low-interest loans. Phase 1 construction is over halfway complete, with 10 active contracts and first water production targeted for 2026. The pooled contingency is $115 million, with $54 million finalized in change orders. Item 5 requested a $6.5 million change order for the Marina Pump Station to replace the shoring system, bringing the contract to $137 million, with a time extension to December 2027. Item 6 requested an $8.45 million change order for the Morena Conveyance North project due to unexpected boulders at the I-805 tunnel, bringing the contract to $112.8 million, with extension to December 2027. Both were discussed and approved.
- Items 7, 8, and 9 – Water Meter Contracts: Rachel Davenport (Water Meter Services) reported that the city is replacing 1,150 meters per month and issuing at least 98% of bills on schedule. The city owns 286,000 water meters; about 24,000 are already smart-meter compatible. Item 9 requested approval of option years 2–5 of the Badger Meter contract ($24 million). Vice Chair Von Wilpert moved to amend the motion to authorize only years 2 and 3, retaining council oversight for later years. Item 8 requested a five-year extension with iTron for software and maintenance ($4 million, total ~$8 million). Item 7 requested a five-year extension with Mars Company for meter testing equipment support ($3.2 million, total ~$5.7 million). Councilmembers discussed contract durations, pricing, and the future smart metering deployment.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes of March 14, 2024 approved 3-0.
- Consent items 1–4 approved 3-0.
- Item 5 (Marina Pump Station change order) approved 3-0.
- Item 6 (Morena Conveyance North change order) approved 3-0.
- Item 9 (Badger Meter options): Amended motion approved 3-0 to exercise only option years 2 and 3, with $24 million authorized for those years.
- Item 8 (iTron extension) approved 3-0, with direction to confirm termination-for-convenience language and place the item on the full council docket rather than consent.
- Item 7 (Mars Company extension) approved 3-0, with a request to place it on the full council docket.
- Item 12 was returned to staff and will be presented at a future meeting.
- The committee also recognized departing Sustainability & Mobility Director Alyssa Muto, who is leaving to become Solana Beach City Manager, and acknowledged Arbor Day and the Trees for Communities program launch.
Meeting Transcript
All right, we're gonna get started. Got a good crowd out there today. Good afternoon, and welcome to the environment committee of April 11th, 2024. I'm Joel Ocava, Councilmember for District One and Chair of the Committee. Our committee's liaison, Sarah Jordan will go over instruction for today's meeting. Sarah? Thank you, Chair. While members of the public are able to attend the meeting in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the Whoops 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 reach virtual queue closes. The 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. Councilmember Campbell. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it at the top of 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. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. Members of the public can also join the webinar by a computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link, which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the queue closes. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or your computer when it's your turn to speak. If you wish to speak on 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 are a call-in participant by pressing star nine on your cell phone or landline. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you, Zara. Uh for reviewing those instructions for the benefit of the public. The quorum is now present. Uh before we get underway, we will be reordering some of the items and consolidating a few presentations to allow for more continuity between those items and help facilitate public comment on those items. So displayed on the screen is the order for today. So get your cameras, pens, and pencils out for this uh re uh imagination of the agenda. For today's order of business, we will hear items one, two, three, and four on the consent agenda. Then move to item 11 on the information agenda. Next, we will hear the three pure water items, which are items 10, 5, and 6. And finally, we will hear the three water meter items. Those are items seven, eight, and nine. For the combined presentations, we will take public comment following the presentation and allow each members of the public time to speak. And you will be allotted three minutes. You can speak on one of those items or all three of those items, but you will allow up to three minutes. Um you will note that I have not mentioned item 12. That item is being returned to staff and will be presented at a future meeting. So it's a good time to take a picture of the screen or write down your notes so you can keep track as we move along through the agenda. We will now dispense with the approval of the committee minutes of March 14th, 2024. Sarah, please proceed. Thank you, Chair. The public comment period for the committee minutes is now open. If you've already joined the Zoom webinar online or by phone, please raise your hand to speak. Chair, we have not received any speaker slips here in chambers, nor do we have any hands. Oh, we've got one hand raised in the virtual queue, so I will begin the five-minute timer for all those to indicate if they wish to speak to the past committee minutes. Clayton Rollins, I've given you permission to speak. Please unmute yourself and provide your testimony. You will have one minute to speak to the past committee minutes. Thank you, Council.
openpublica.com