OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Environment Committee Meeting - April 16, 2026

Environment Committee — Thursday, April 16, 2026
BodySan Diego, California
SessionEnvironment Committee
DateThursday, April 16, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:56:35

Transcript — Verbatim
2:41

All right, good afternoon, everyone.

2:43

Welcome to the Environment Committee meeting of April 16th, 2026.

2:47

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

2:53

Sarah, please proceed.

2:55

Thank you, Chair Ylo Rivera.

2:57

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

3:09

Members of the public who wish to provide testimony via a call-in or 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.

3:22

This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business.

3:40

Council President Lacava.

3:43

I am present.

3:44

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

3:52

And if you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the speaker slip box at the table at the front of the room.

3:59

Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management.

4:02

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.

4:10

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

4:33

If you wish to speak to a particular item, please wait for that item to be called and raise your hand by tapping the raise your hand icon on Zoom, or if you're calling participant by selecting star nine on your phone.

4:42

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

4:57

Thank you, Chair.

4:57

Per rule two point seven.

5:00

Per Rule 2.7, non-agenda public comment is 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.

5:06

Each speaker will have two minutes.

5:07

We will begin with slips we've received here in chambers.

5:11

We will begin with Nate Fairman.

5:13

Nate, you will be followed by Mark, Rao, Patrick, and Catherine.

5:20

I will call those names again.

5:21

But if those individuals, if you heard your name, if you can please come up to the reserve seats at the front of the room and please begin.

5:28

Hi, good morning, uh council members and staff.

5:31

I just want to start by saying thank you.

5:33

I I really appreciate all of your hard work from the city council members to the staff to the people that work behind the scenes.

5:40

You have uh an impossible job.

5:42

Whatever you do, there's going to be people on one side or another side, but you still move forward.

5:47

You still put stuff on the agenda, you still continue to make decisions that improve the lives of your constituents.

5:53

It does not fall short on me, and I just want to say thank you.

5:56

I know you make a lot of sacrifices living in the public eye, working for the public good.

6:00

So, from the bottom of my heart, from on behalf of my family, I just want to say thank you for everything you do for your many sacrifices and for being, you know, honest, hardworking public servants with high levels of integrity.

6:13

Thank you so much.

6:15

Thank you.

6:16

Our next speaker is Mark O'Connor.

6:21

Hello, council members.

6:22

My name is Mark O'Connor.

6:23

I'm a volunteer lead for Surfrider San Diego County's plastic pollution program.

6:27

Surfrider is interested in reducing and eliminating the pollution caused by the senseless litter of cigarette butts.

6:34

Worldwide, it is estimated that 4.5 trillion filters are carelessly discarded into the environment each year.

6:39

I've personally collected thousands of filters in my eight years as a volunteer in cleanups.

6:44

This container holds over 2,000 cleanups that I collected for a project that I picked up in two days in the Incinitas area.

6:51

A filter is made up of 15,000 small strands of cellulous acetate, a form of plastic, which is a single-use product that, when finished being used for smoking, contains heavy metals and toxic chemicals.

7:04

Surfriter San Diego is in support of any policy that stops this form of plastic from entering the ocean.

7:09

Some remedies are ordinances to prohibit public smoking outdoors.

7:13

The thought is the lower number of places to smoke equates to the less number of butts on the ground getting into our storm drains and out to the ocean.

7:20

We've seen recent legislation that removes the filter from the cigarette is going into effect in Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Santa Cruz County effective January 1st of 2027.

7:30

Currently there are four cities in the state have solved the problem of butt pollution by prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products.

7:36

Those are Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach, Ross, and Tiburon.

7:40

Surf Fighter San Diego is part of the San Diego Tobacco Free Coalition, which has other environmental health county and academic partners.

7:48

As a member of the coalition, I am here to offer any and all of the coalition's resources and expertise to you as you decide what would be best for the City of San Diego's environment and the health of its residents.

7:58

If you would like a staff member to contact me, my contact information is on my speaker slip.

8:03

Again, it's Mark O'Connor, and I thank you.

8:08

Thank you.

8:08

Our next speaker is Ron.

8:10

Ron or Rao.

8:12

I'm not sure which Ron.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Power███████████████████████████27%
Public Comment██████████████████18%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████13%
Parks and Recreation███████████11%
Energy and Utilities██████████10%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Procedural████4%
Audit Follow-up████4%
Stormwater Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Environment Committee Meeting Summary - April 16, 2026

The Environment Committee, chaired by Councilmember Ilo Rivera with Council President Lacava present, met on April 16, 2026, to discuss several items including the Urban Water Management Plan, Mission Bay Park improvements, a public power feasibility study, and the SDGE franchise compliance audit. The meeting featured extensive public testimony on a range of environmental and utility issues.

Consent Calendar

  • Items 1-5 were approved unanimously: minutes from March 12, 2026; agreement with JEB Sand and Gravel for trench restoration fill materials; update to Council Policy 400-04 on emergency water storage; amendments to industrial wastewater control program; and establishing the third franchise compliance review committee.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Non-Agenda Public Comments (two-minute slots per speaker):
    • Nate Fairman thanked the council and staff for their public service.
    • Mark O’Connor (Surfrider San Diego County) expressed support for policies to reduce cigarette butt pollution, noting 4.5 trillion filters discarded worldwide annually and that each filter contains 15,000 strands of plastic. He cited examples of cities that banned tobacco sales.
    • Dr. Ronald Aswin (Sierra Club) supported reducing tobacco product waste, noting a single butt can contaminate 1,000 liters of water.
    • Patrick McDonough (San Diego Coastkeeper) raised concerns about stormwater budget cuts, including a $430,000 cut in channel maintenance, $230,000 in pump station maintenance, and loss of four staff, while the city faces a $5.1 billion stormwater deficit. He urged continued public education.
    • Catherine Rhodes proposed two ballot measures to generate $250 million in revenue through TOT changes affecting online travel agencies and a new 4% TOT.
    • Other callers (Blair Beekman, Joy Sunyata, Madison, Peggy Walker, Kathleen Lippett) commented on modular wetland systems, the seed program for marijuana storefronts (environmental concerns), and opposition to cannabis-related pollution.
  • Consent Agenda Public Comments: Catherine Rhodes and others spoke on items 2 and 3, questioning sand and gravel imports from Canada and the reduction of emergency water storage from 7 months to 2 months.
  • Discussion Items 6 & 7 Public Comments:
    • Patrick McDonough (Coastkeeper) supported the plan but urged better accounting for outdoor conservation and rate-driven demand reductions.
    • Catherine Rhodes advocated for her "La Playa plan" for underground cisterns and sand reuse.
    • Joy Sunyata and others supported the plans while expressing concerns about water rates and enforcement.
  • Item 8 (Mission Bay) Public Comments:
    • Anthony Ding (Climate Action Campaign) and Lillian Barnes (Audubon) supported the EIR and urged using the Mission Bay Park Fund for these projects rather than lower-priority ones.
    • Catherine Rhodes praised the report and raised questions about seawall restoration and funding.
    • Several callers (Blair Beekman, James Royer, Tony, Larry Webb, John Stump, Andrew Meyer) supported the project and called for prioritizing the seawall and wetland restoration.
  • Item 9 (Public Power) Public Comments: Extensive testimony from both supporters and opponents.
    • Supporters (including Park Troutman, Isaiah, Adrian Fusick, Anthony Dang, and others) argued public power would lower rates, reduce profits leaving San Diego, and align with climate goals, noting SDGE's high rates and record profits.
    • Opponents (Nate Fairman of IBEW, Brittany Seats of SDGE, Mark Kersey, Miriam Mendoza of Chamber, Kelvin Barrios of Laborers Union) cited risks, incomplete cost analysis, lack of worker protections, and potential financial strain on the city.
    • Multiple callers shared personal experiences of high bills and debt.
  • Item 10 (SDGE Franchise Audit) Public Comments:
    • Caitlin Haley (SDGE) accepted the audit findings and thanked the committee.
    • Lori Lipsman opposed automatic renewal, citing high executive compensation.
    • Catherine Rhodes asked whether SDGE had fulfilled promises to hire local union workers.
    • Park Troutman (San Diego 350) called for more transparent audit methodology.
    • Other callers (John Stump, Tony, Heckler, Blair Beekman, Joy Sunyata, Jay Powell, Kathleen Lippett) raised concerns about automatic renewal, public engagement, and climate alignment.

Discussion Items

  • Items 6 & 7: 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Municipal Code Amendments

    • Staff presented the plan, projecting a 34% reduction in water demand over 20 years despite population growth, with local water supply expected to reach 70% by 2050. The plan incorporates a 25-year forecast, updated growth forecasts from SANDAG Series 15 (12-17% lower than Series 14), and conservation measures like AB 1572's ban on non-functional turf. The water shortage contingency plan includes six shortage levels. The related municipal code amendments align with state law and remove outdated drought response levels.
    • Council President Lacava praised the data-driven approach and noted the shift from imported to local water. The motion to adopt passed unanimously.

  • Item 8: Mission Bay Park Improvements Program

    • Staff presented the program EIR and implementation framework, covering wetland and water quality improvements, shoreline restoration, upland habitat expansion, seawall restoration, and bike/pedestrian paths. De Anza Natural was excluded as a separate project. The EIR identified potential significant impacts on biological resources, cultural resources, noise, and recreation, with mitigation measures. The CEQA-required "reduced hardscape" alternative was deemed environmentally superior.
    • Council President Lacava expressed support but cautioned about prioritizing the seawall over wetland projects, urging adherence to the charter's priorities. The item was moved to full council with a unanimous recommendation.

  • Item 9: Public Power Feasibility Study Phase 2

    • Consultants from NewGen Strategies and Siemens presented findings that forming a municipal electric utility (MEU) is economically and technically feasible, with savings of 6-16% over 30 years depending on asset acquisition costs (range: $2.4 billion original cost less depreciation to $7.6 billion replacement cost less depreciation). Key assumptions include 4% annual SDGE rate growth, and a 12-year payback period under the higher cost. The study is an "overnight analysis" and does not guarantee specific rates. Major unknowns include regulatory proceedings (e.g., San Francisco PG&E case) and workforce protections.
    • Extensive public comment both supported (citing high SDGE rates, profits, and climate alignment) and opposed (citing risks, incomplete costs, and worker uncertainty). Council President Lacava and Chair Ilo Rivera noted the long timeline and non-negotiable worker protections. No vote was taken; this was an information item.

  • Item 10: SDGE Franchise Independent Audit and Franchise Compliance Review Committee Report

    • Staff and auditors (Crowe LLP) presented the second two-year compliance audit, finding overall compliance with two minor findings: non-compliance with undergrounding MOU regarding project documentation and a missed pre-construction meeting under the Administrative MOU. Prior audit issues were mostly resolved. The Franchise Compliance Review Committee (FCRC) recommended conditional automatic renewal of the 10-year franchise, emphasizing improved transparency, cost breakdowns, and alignment of renegotiation timelines with committee reviews.
    • Council President Lacava thanked the FCRC volunteers and asked about committee composition. Chair Ilo Rivera noted the distinction between compliance and satisfaction. No vote was taken; this was an information item.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda (Items 1-5): Approved unanimously by voice vote.
  • Item 6 (Urban Water Management Plan): Motion to adopt staff recommendation passed unanimously.
  • Item 7 (Municipal Code Amendments): Motion to adopt staff recommendation passed unanimously.
  • Item 8 (Mission Bay Park Improvements): Motion to certify the EIR and adopt the implementation framework passed unanimously; item to proceed to full City Council.
  • Item 9 (Public Power Study): No action taken; information and discussion only.
  • Item 10 (SDGE Franchise Audit): No action taken; information and discussion only.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the Environment Committee meeting of April 16th, 2026. Our committee liaison, Sarah Jordan will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. Sarah, please proceed. Thank you, Chair Ylo Rivera. While members of the public are able to attend the meeting in person, the speech meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and 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 testimony via a call-in or 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. 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 Lacava. I am present. Also attending the meeting today is City Attorney Representative Nicole Dino, Mayoral Representative Randy Wilde, and IBA Representative Jordan Moore. And if you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the speaker slip box at the table 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. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669, 2545252 and when prompted. If you wish to speak to a particular item, please wait for that item to be called and raise your hand by tapping the raise your hand icon on Zoom, or if you're calling participant by selecting star nine on your phone. If you raise your hand during non-comment period, your hand will be lowered, Chair. Thank you, Chair. Per rule two point seven. Per Rule 2.7, non-agenda public comment is 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. Each speaker will have two minutes. We will begin with slips we've received here in chambers. We will begin with Nate Fairman. Nate, you will be followed by Mark, Rao, Patrick, and Catherine. I will call those names again. But if those individuals, if you heard your name, if you can please come up to the reserve seats at the front of the room and please begin. Hi, good morning, uh council members and staff. I just want to start by saying thank you. I I really appreciate all of your hard work from the city council members to the staff to the people that work behind the scenes. You have uh an impossible job. Whatever you do, there's going to be people on one side or another side, but you still move forward. You still put stuff on the agenda, you still continue to make decisions that improve the lives of your constituents. It does not fall short on me, and I just want to say thank you. I know you make a lot of sacrifices living in the public eye, working for the public good. So, from the bottom of my heart, from on behalf of my family, I just want to say thank you for everything you do for your many sacrifices and for being, you know, honest, hardworking public servants with high levels of integrity. Thank you so much. Thank you. Our next speaker is Mark O'Connor. Hello, council members. My name is Mark O'Connor. I'm a volunteer lead for Surfrider San Diego County's plastic pollution program. Surfrider is interested in reducing and eliminating the pollution caused by the senseless litter of cigarette butts. Worldwide, it is estimated that 4.5 trillion filters are carelessly discarded into the environment each year. I've personally collected thousands of filters in my eight years as a volunteer in cleanups. This container holds over 2,000 cleanups that I collected for a project that I picked up in two days in the Incinitas area. A filter is made up of 15,000 small strands of cellulous acetate, a form of plastic, which is a single-use product that, when finished being used for smoking, contains heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Surfriter San Diego is in support of any policy that stops this form of plastic from entering the ocean. Some remedies are ordinances to prohibit public smoking outdoors. The thought is the lower number of places to smoke equates to the less number of butts on the ground getting into our storm drains and out to the ocean. We've seen recent legislation that removes the filter from the cigarette is going into effect in Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Santa Cruz County effective January 1st of 2027.

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