San Diego Committee Meeting on June 5, 2019: Gun Storage, EVOC, and Streetlight Updates
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
San Diego Committee Meeting on June 5, 2019: Gun Storage, EVOC, and Streetlight Updates
The committee, consisting of the Chair (name not stated), Vice Chair Kate, and Councilmember Moreno, met on June 5, 2019, to consider three agenda items out of order. Topics included a proposed safe storage of firearms ordinance, a memorandum of agreement for an emergency vehicle operations course (EVOC) with the county, and an informational update on smart streetlights. Non-agenda public comments were heard at the start. The meeting began at approximately 5:00 PM UTC (local time) and had to be paused early due to loss of quorum.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Sandy Gate Algra (non-agenda): Expressed concern over unsafe conditions at parks for children, citing a needle scratch incident involving her toddler at NTC Park. She advocated for an ordinance to designate children's play areas in parks, noting support from planning groups and a petition with nearly 2,500 signatures. She stated she had not received responses from Parks and Rec to her reports.
- Martha Waltz (non-agenda): Raised issues with police and fire overtime, citing Prop B (2012) on pensions for firefighters, and expressed concern about police academy staffing and temporary fire stations with inadequate facilities (kitchen, sleep, showers). She also noted police stations closed to the public and reliance on online reporting.
- Kelly McCormick (non-agenda): Expressed support for tighter restrictions on marijuana advertising, particularly billboards near sensitive areas (schools, recreation centers). She cited studies on youth exposure and argued the city moved faster on dispensary legislation than on quality-of-life regulations.
- Kathleen Lippett (non-agenda): Applauded efforts to control gun violence but urged the city to ensure certified marijuana testing labs are in place before commercial products come online. She discussed risks of high-potency THC, teen vaping, and contamination, and compared marijuana marketing to Purdue Pharma's role in the opioid crisis.
- Public testimony in favor of safe storage ordinance: 14 speakers (including Tim Taylor, Wendy Wheatcroft, Mari Clevin, Carol Landale, Lori Van Orden, Therese Heimer, Richie Gibson, Cara Chine, Sandra Clausen, Bishop Cornelius Bowser, Jack Doxy) provided testimony emphasizing the need for secure firearm storage to prevent domestic violence, youth suicide, veteran suicides, theft, and accidental shootings. Many cited statistics: 160 gun violence restraining orders in San Diego, 111 veteran suicides in 2017, 73% of children under nine knowing where firearms are stored, and the effectiveness of safe storage laws in reducing youth suicide in Massachusetts (35% below national average).
- Public testimony in opposition: Three speakers (Wendy Hoffman, Mary Widows, Mike Johnson) argued the ordinance is duplicative of state law (Child Access Prevention), would infringe on the right to self-defense, is unenforceable without door-to-door searches, and lacks exemptions for law enforcement and concealed carry permit holders. They raised concerns about definitions of safe storage and accessibility during emergencies.
Discussion Items
- Safe Storage of Firearms Ordinance (Item 2): City Attorney Mara Elliott presented the proposal to amend Chapter 5, Article 3 of the San Diego Municipal Code to add Section 53.17 (Safe Storage of Firearms). Storage would require devices like trigger locks, safe, or lockbox unless firearm is under immediate control of authorized user. Elliott argued the ordinance complements existing state law (Child Access Prevention) by providing an affirmative standard and preventing tragedies before they occur. She noted 15 other California communities have similar laws, and cited support from groups including Alzheimer's San Diego, Giffords Law Center, and YWCA. Relevant statistics: 40% of teens in homes with guns report easy access; 46% of firearm-owning parents do not secure weapons; suicide attempts by firearms are 85% fatal vs. <10% by other means.
- Councilmember Moreno expressed support, calling it a common sense reform. Councilmember Kate opposed, citing enforceability difficulties (only 33 arrests and 1 conviction under state storage law in a year), lack of enforcement carve-outs for law enforcement and concealed carry permit holders, and the belief that current state law is sufficient. The Chair supported the ordinance based on compelling public health data. A 2-1 vote (Moreno and Chair in favor, Kate opposed) moved the item to full City Council without a committee recommendation, per rule 6.9.1 C.
- Memorandum of Agreement for EVOC Training Facility (Item 1): Presented by Sibel Thompson (Real Estate Assets), Lt. Dave Bautista (SDPD), and Dave Maley. The city would contribute $5 million (from police decentralization fund) for access to a 40-acre county-owned site in Otay Mesa. In exchange, the city receives minimum 60 training days per year (not to exceed 70 without extra charge), priority scheduling, and ability to roll over unused days. Projected completion December 2020; if not complete within 5 years, county returns $5 million with interest. Alternatives (San Bernardino or Alameda counties) would cost ~$9.5 million over 15 years. The item passed unanimously (3-0).
- Smart Streetlight Update (Item 3): Information only. Presented by Lt. Jeff Jordan (SDPD) and Cody Hooven (Sustainability Department). The project involves ~4,200 sensors installed on LED streetlights citywide, generating metadata (pedestrian/vehicle movement, speed, temperature, etc.) from optical, acoustic, and environmental sensors. Video footage is not actively monitored; retained for 5 days, overwritten unless used in serious crime investigations (homicide, sex crimes, robbery, traffic fatalities). As of May 2019, used in 99 cases (60 made significant or somewhat difference). Features: no facial recognition, no license plate readers, no audio recording, no pan/tilt/zoom; private property automatically redacted. Community outreach ongoing. Public comment from Amanda Lee (ACLU) expressed concerns about privacy, potential bias, and need for public approval before expanding capabilities. Councilmember Moreno questioned use of CDBG funds for the project and asked about cybersecurity. Councilmember Kate expressed comfort with current policies but noted concerns about future AI/predictive policing. No action taken; balance of agenda continued.
Key Outcomes
- Safe storage of firearms ordinance: Moved to full City Council without recommendation (2-1 vote).
- EVOC memorandum of agreement: Approved unanimously (3-0). The city will pay $5 million from police decentralization fund for use of the county's EVOC facility.
- Smart streetlight update: Received as information. Further community outreach will be conducted, and staff will return to committee with feedback and recommendations.
- Continuation: The balance of the agenda was continued to the regularly scheduled committee meeting on June 26, 2019, due to loss of quorum.
Meeting Transcript
The chair of this committee is out today, so I will be chairing the meeting. We only have three members here today. That means if one of us gets up to use the restroom or leave the room, we have to adjourn the meeting, um, stop the meeting while that person is out of the room because we won't have quorum. So I just wanted you all to be aware of that. Um we have myself, um council member Kate, Vice Chair Kate, and Councilmember Moreno here today. And we will be going out of order. We will be starting with item number two, which is to approve an ordinance to amend Chapter 5, Article 3 of the San Diego Municipal Code to add Section 53.17 titled Safe Storage of Firearms. I'd like to welcome our city attorney this morning. Um please introduce yourself for the record and um let us know how much time you need. Good morning. I'm San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott, and with me is Chief Deputy City Attorney Paige Folkman. We need about 10 minutes, please. Great. Okay. So we're here today, and I'm here today in a role that's somewhat different from my normal role. I'm here as the prosecutor on behalf of the people of the state of California to present a common sense gun safety measure that 15 other California communities have enacted. As you know, San Diego is the safest big city in America, and we're also at the forefront of keeping our people safe from predictable gun violence. We were the first city to aggressively use California's gun violence restraining order law, and we're recognized nationally for using this tool effectively. Working with the San Diego Police Department, my office has removed guns from more than 160 individuals who the courts have found to be a threat to themselves or to others. By proactively addressing threatening behavior and irresponsible gun use, we've prevented gun violence in workplaces, on school campuses, and in situations of domestic violence stalking. Um I am so sorry to stop you. We didn't realize we had non-agenda public comment speakers because I didn't see that over here. So if it's okay, we'd like to pause your presentation and take the non-agenda public comment speakers and then come right on back. Thank you. Great. So it's these three. Um we have three non-agenda public comment speakers. Umgra, Martha Welsh, and Kelly McCormick. You will each have three minutes. Yes. My name is Kathy. I also turned in a speaker. Oh, for non-agenda? Yeah. Okay. Um we'll um if you could just fill it out now, we'll take you fourth. We can't find it. Sorry. Okay, that's okay. Hello, and thank you for your time today. My name is Sandy Gate Algra, and I was born in Pacific Beach. After living in New York City and St. Paul, Minnesota, I returned to San Diego in 2017 to raise my two children. I'm a freelance editor. I volunteer as the director of Free Forest School of San Diego, which offers free outdoor nature play to over 1,500 families throughout the count county. My most important job is raising my children. There's a question I often ask them, what's mama's job? To which they answer, to keep us safe. On December 11th, 2018, I failed that all-important task when my then two-year-old son was scratched by a bent bloody needle at NTC Park in an area I had been reporting for weeks for encampments and drug paraphernalia. As a result of this needle scratch, just two days ago, I took my toddler for his mandatory follow-up HIV and hepatitis C test.
openpublica.com