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

Sarah?

Thank you, Chair Elo Rivera.

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

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 conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, 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.

Council President Lacaba.

Chair Elo Rivera.

Also attending the meeting today is City Attorney Representative Nicole Dino, Mayoral Representative Randy Wilde, and IBA Representative, Jordan Moore.

If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the speaker slip box on the on the table in 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.

To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669, 2545252.

And when prompted, input webinar ID 161-907-2156 pound.

Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be delay.

Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak.

If you wish to speak to 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're a call participant by selecting star nine on your cell phone or landline.

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

All right.

Thank you, Chair.

Per rule two point seven on agenda public comment as an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of this committee, and each speaker will have two minutes.

And again, if you're watching on City TV at the live stream online and you'd like to call in in the meeting to speak, please dial 1669-2545252.

Inputting webinar ID 161, 907-2156 pound.

We've not received any speaker slips here in chamber, so I will begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to provide non-agenda public comment at this time.

Beginning testimony with Terry Ann Skelly.

Please unmute and provide your comment.

You will have two minutes.

Good afternoon, Chair Elo Rivera and Environment Committee.

My name is Terry Ann Skelly.

I'm a planning group member whose planning group's greatest interest in is the environment around where our homes are located, especially trash and littering on the trails between and behind our homes.

We recognize that tobacco products and packaging are one of the major sources of this trash and litter.

The World Health Organization recently released a document entitled, and I quote, Tobacco is Poisoning Our World.

Tobacco's impact on the environment includes the creation of air pollutants and fouling our recreational work and living spaces.

The widespread scattering of non-biodegradable toxic cigarette butts.

Leaches heavy metals and plastics into the soil, harming wildlife and ecosystems.

Newer products like e-cigarettes also contribute hazardous materials, including lithium ion batteries and microplastics to the growing problems of waste.

Cigarette butts, vaping debris, and other forms of tobacco product waste poison our streams, contaminate beaches and waterways.

And marine animals can ingest littered cigarette butts, and the toxic chemicals from the butts can poison aquatic life.

One significant first step in improving San Diego's environment is banning of smoking and vaping in public places, including nicotine and marijuana products of all types.

The time has come.

Five other cities in our county have already done this.

Thank you for hearing my concerns this afternoon.

Thank you for your testimony.

Our next speaker is Peggy Walker.

Please unmute and begin.

Thank you.

I'm here to discuss a tobacco problem as well.

It's a health equity issue for those who live in leased or rented properties.

It's the problem of third hand smoke.

I'm familiar with this issue through members of my youth group.

Many are from low-income families renting and multi-unit housing complexes who've expressed asthma related and other respiratory problems resulting from both second and third hand smoke.

I feel very badly for them because many of these parents are afraid to speak out to management for fear of losing their apartments, and they have no one to advocate for them.

Third hand smoke is tobacco smoke residue.

It's a mix of toxic chemicals that can cause DNA damage, cancer risk, impair cell repair, and worsen lung functioning.

This residue, unfortunately, can linger for years on furniture, walls, flooring furniture, and other surfaces after someone smokes.

And it's toxic to humans, especially children.

And it's important to note that professional cleaning cannot remove this residue.

The remediation often requires very costly and complete renovation.

So currently, California law does not mandate disclosure of third-hand smoke and rental agreements.