Environment Committee Meeting Summary - May 21, 2026
Environment Committee Meeting Summary - May 21, 2026
The Environment Committee of the San Diego City Council met on May 21, 2026, to discuss the San Diego County Water Authority update, a resolution supporting state utility affordability bills, and an update on residential solid waste management services. The meeting began with a moment of silence for victims of a recent hate crime in the city. The consent agenda passed unanimously, and the committee voted unanimously on the resolution.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1-5 (minutes, contracts, fee authorization, water rights agreement) were approved unanimously after no items were pulled. Council President LaCava noted that the solid waste management fee on tax roll billing (Item 4) remains necessary despite a tentative settlement announced the previous day, and the tax roll billing is the most cost-effective solution. The motion passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-agenda public comment: Multiple speakers addressed the recent hate crime, expressing condolences and calling for community healing. Speakers also urged the city to consider an emergency ban on smoking/vaping in public spaces, and to require smoke-free policies in publicly subsidized housing. Others highlighted the environmental hazards of vaping waste and the burden on schools. There were 6 virtual speakers.
- Consent agenda public comment: Speakers supported the items, with one noting concerns about workforce representation and another praising the solid waste management fee process. One speaker proposed installing a valve to pull water from the San Diego River for future use.
- Item 7 (Water Authority update): Two in-person speakers: Courtney Brown (San Diego Coastkeeper) acknowledged progress but requested independent review and transparency, noting LAFCO's decision to suspend the municipal service review. Blair Beekman urged a more public process and lower rate increases. Virtual speakers included Hector (who criticized reliance on Mexico and suggested using San Diego River water) and Joy Sanyata (who emphasized the need for frequent updates and policy discussions).
- Item 6 (Utility resolution): Speakers supported the resolution, with Park Troutman (San Diego 350) noting the need for long-term public power and praising the legislative package. Blair Beekman discussed wildfire prevention. Virtual speakers included Hector (who proposed taxing wealthy politicians), Joy Sanyata (who praised the resolution and asked for a city vision), Serena Pelka (Climate Action Campaign, who highlighted the impact of SDGE's profits and ratepayer debt), and Jesse Anderson (who stressed the need to rein in corporate greed).
- Item 8 (Waste management update): One in-person speaker (Blair Beekman) touched on tech accountability and the recent events. Virtual speaker Joy Sanyata thanked staff and asked about qualitative/quantitative metrics.
Discussion Items
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Item 7: San Diego County Water Authority Update – Dan Denham (General Manager) and Jamie Bradford (Assistant GM) presented a 20-minute overview. Key points: Colorado River Basin is in its worst year on record; Lake Mead at 30% capacity; state water project allocation at 45%; new water exchange agreements with Riverside County agencies for 20,000 acre-feet over 21 years, generating $660 million; a groundwater bank sale of 7,717 acre-feet for $3.4 million; and a proposed virtual water transfer from the Carlsbad desalination plant to Arizona and Nevada. The Water Authority staff recommend a 3% rate increase for the next calendar year, down from projected double digits. Jordan Moore (IBA) noted the progress but emphasized the need for additional sales to avoid double-digit increases when Pure Water phase two comes online in 2035. He recommended the council hold a public hearing on the rate case before June. Council members welcomed the improved outlook but asked about low-income rate assistance, cost of service study timing, and the potential for further water sales. Denham explained that state law (Prop 218/26) limits flexibility, and non-rate revenue could help. Chair Serrano (city 10) committed to prioritizing affordability.
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Item 6: Resolution Supporting State Utility Affordability Bills – Deanna Frias (Councilmember Elo Rivera's office) and Anthony Dang (Climate Action Campaign) presented the resolution supporting 10 state bills (SB 905, 1098, 943, 1138, 1359, 913; AB 2463, 1761, 2516, 2493). They cited SDGE's high rates ($313 average monthly residential bill), 9.1% annual increases vs. 3.6% inflation, and $200 million in regional utility debt. Council discussion raised concerns about executive pay (Sempra CEO made $21.5 million) and the role of the CPUC. The resolution was moved by Council President LaCava and seconded by Vice Chair Campbell, passing unanimously.
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Item 8: Residential Solid Waste Management Services Update – Jeremy Bauer (Assistant Director, Environmental Services) gave a 12-minute update. Progress: 99.8% of new gray trash containers delivered; blue recycling rollout ongoing through September; customer portal with 54% account creation; financial assistance program partnered with MAC (4,000 applications, 1,800 approved, $62,000 pledged from customers); future plans for route reviews, RFID testing, and (subject to change) weekly recycling and bulky item pickup. The fund outlook shows a positive balance by FY29, but Jordan Moore (IBA) recommended the department produce a five-year financial outlook annually for transparency. Council members praised the department's effort, the financial assistance program, and the partnership with MAC. They noted that a settlement announced the previous day may affect future rates and services.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda (Items 1-5) passed unanimously.
- Item 7 was informational; no vote taken. Committee discussed scheduling a hearing with the city's representatives on the Water Authority board before the June rate case.
- Item 6 resolution passed unanimously; office of Councilmember Elo Rivera to draft the resolution with the City Attorney.
- Item 8 was informational; no vote taken. The IBA recommended future five-year outlooks for the solid waste fund.
- The next Environment Committee meeting is scheduled for June 18, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the environment committee meeting of May twenty-first, twenty twenty-six. Our committee liaison, Natalie Kessler will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. Natalie, please proceed. Thank you, Chair. Well, members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person. This meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website. 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. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Also attending the meeting today is City Attorney Representative Nicole Dino. If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it in the speakers slip box at the table in 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 accessing the link listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage to join the Zoom webinar by phone, please dial 1669, 2545252. When prompted, input webinar ID one six zero seven three two nine six three eight pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. So please participate the via the audio on your phone and meet your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak on a particular item, 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 and participant, press star nine on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. All right, thank you, Natalie. We have a quorum. Um as a note, we will be hearing uh our agenda uh excuse me. We're hearing our agenda out of order uh after taking our consent items, which are items one through five. We'll hear item number seven, followed by item number six, and then item number eight. Uh but first we've got non-agenda public comment. Um, Natalie, if you'd please proceed with that. 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 within the subject matter jurisdiction of the committee. Each speaker will have two minutes, and we have not received any speaker slips in the committee room for non-agenda public comments. We will move to the virtual queue. We have three hands raised in the virtual queue, and I've started the five-minute timer. Blair Beakman, please unmute and provide your non-agenda public comment. Hi, we're speaking first. How do you do? Happy Thursday to everyone. I'm sitting over on uh 5th and B streets right now, um, or C Street actually, at the trolley. Uh I'll be at the meeting soon. Um, walking over there now. Um thank you that council person Yellow Rivera is back. Um, I really needed him here the past couple days, and uh I'm sorry he wasn't here. I'm sorry, Councilperson von Wilford hasn't been around either. It'll be nice to hear their voice uh just as part of our process at this time. Uh, thank you. Uh, congratulations that you're working on uh parking and uh garbage issues. Um, well, thank you, I guess, uh, can be more in order, and um good luck what we're working on. Um, in a lot of events have happened in San Diego this week, and uh I've been learning terms that as uh these young people who have committed these uh horrific crimes uh this past week. There's this there's a concept called acceleration that they that they want action and change to happen and accelerate it. And I'm trying to trust that as for as hideous as they're what they've done. They can also have a part, you know, and they want they want you know uh some sort of radical change through racial protest. Um they also have a part of them that can respect just uh a coming together that happens from such horrific events, and that's why I think their logic is really mixed up and backwards.
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