San Diego Rules Committee Meeting – January 20, 2021: Discussion of 2021 Priorities
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San Diego Rules Committee Meeting – January 20, 2021: Discussion of 2021 Priorities
The San Diego City Council Rules Committee met virtually on January 20, 2021, at 2:00 PM via Zoom, in compliance with Executive Order 29‑20 suspending certain Brown Act requirements due to the COVID‑19 pandemic. The sole substantive agenda item was the discussion and adoption of the committee’s 2021 priorities. The meeting included public comment, deliberation by committee members, and unanimous approval of both the consent calendar and a motion to direct the Council President to draft the 2021 work plan, which is to be finalized by February 1, 2021.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Committee Actions (October 9, 2020): The minutes from the previous meeting were approved unanimously (5‑0).
Public Comments & Testimony
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Non‑Agenda Public Comment:
- Kathleen Lippitt (first caller) raised concerns about public access to virtual meetings, noting that many lower‑income residents lack computer technology or technical skills to participate. She also questioned the integrity of committee assignments used as rewards or punishment and argued that consistent unanimous voting suggests groupthink, which is patronizing to the public.
- Second caller didn’t connect (Kathleen Lippitt had already spoken).
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Public Comment on Item 1 (2021 Priorities):
- Becky Rapp (District 5 resident, mother) thanked Councilmember Von Wilpert for focusing on improving resident and business access to Development Services Department (DSD) reports. She specifically requested clarity on conflict‑of‑interest rules for DSD advisory committees to help communities protect churches and youth‑oriented facilities from inappropriate marijuana business locations.
- Joy Sonata (District 3) thanked committee members for their memos and expressed support for policy revisions that promote equity, open government, communications, customer service, and public outreach. She praised the “Get It Done” program and suggested creating an app to survey homeless individuals to gather their voices, calling it “baby steps toward more equity.”
Discussion Items
- Discussion of the 2021 Rules Committee Priorities
Committee members each offered comments on the priorities they submitted in memos dated December 30, 2020. Key themes included:
- Vice Chair Campillo (motion maker): Emphasized ranked‑choice voting (RCV) and its reverberating effects on campaign finance and election administration; streamlining boards and commissions with the Mayor’s Office; and supporting an ad‑hoc COVID‑19 committee (proposed by Councilmember Von Wilpert). Also stressed lowering barriers for candidates and improving transparency.
- Councilmember Whitburn (seconded motion): Highlighted language accessibility for public meetings, protecting voting rights, and initiatives for LGBTQ employees. He supported the COVID‑19 ad‑hoc committee and Councilmember Kate’s idea of minimum public outreach standards for city projects.
- Councilmember Von Wilpert: Cited her experience with the AIDS epidemic in Africa as inspiration for creating an ad‑hoc COVID‑19 response and recovery committee. Emphasized equitable distribution of relief funds, better coordination with the county, and the need for a transparent DSD permitting process. Also noted the need for diverse representation on boards and commissions.
- Councilmember Kate: Called for exploring charter amendments to allow educational and childcare uses in park spaces while avoiding over‑commercialization. Agreed with colleagues on RCV, COVID‑19 response, and language accessibility.
Key Outcomes
- Motion (by Councilmember Campillo, seconded by Councilmember Whitburn) to direct the Council President to draft the 2021 work plan, incorporating committee members’ priorities and public input — passed unanimously (5‑0).
- The final 2021 Rules Committee work plan is to be posted and finalized by February 1, 2021.
- The next regular Rules Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 2:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
To start. Well, I am I'm really delighted that we have uh we have our hands. Council President, it's 2 p.m. So we're gonna start. We're gonna officially start the meeting. My goodness. Council President, can you hear me? Can you hear me? Me and Jennifer Lopez, both of them. Beautiful. Council members, we're gonna start. Please begin. Thank you. But good afternoon. I want to welcome you to the January 20th, 2021 Rules Committee meeting per executive order 29-20, which suspends certain requirements on the Brown Act. All council members and city staff will be participating via Zoom, and no members of the public will be in attendance at the meeting in the interest of public health and safety. In addition, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website. And the committee liaison has made arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. We appreciate the public's cooperation. We will go over the specifics of how to join the webinar, and we'll give details on how the public can offer public testimony. I will now call the rules committee meeting of Wednesday, January 20th, a great day in history, 2021 to order. For purposes of the roll call, those on Zoom include Vice Chair Campio, Committee Member Whitburn, Committee Member Von Wilford, and Committee Member Kate. Each council member is attending virtually. Also participating via Zoom are Randy Weil of the Mayor's Office, Heather Ferber of the City Attorney's Office, and Jeff Korr of the IBA office. The public may view the meeting on public television on City TV Channel 24 for Cox Communication and Time Warner Cable or Channel 99 for ATT or view the meeting online by going to the City Council Committee's homepage at Sandiego.gov and selecting the City TV Live Webcast blue button on the right hand side of the page. The committee meetings will be held virtually using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public can offer public comment on items by accessing the Zoom webinar online using a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, or by calling into the meeting using a smartphone, cellular cellular phone or landline. The link to join the committee meeting webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone is listed on the agenda on how to join by iPhone 1 tap. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, you may dial either 1669-254-5252 or 1646-828-7666. When prompted, input webinar ID 161-708-6946 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each item. When I introduce the item you would like to comment on, you will raise your hand by either tapping the raise your hand button on your computer, tablet, or iPhone, smartphone, or by pressing star 9 on your phone. You will be taken in the order in which you raise your hand. You may only speak once on a particular item. When I indicate it is your turn to speak, I will call you by your name as it appears on the Zoom webinar attendee list, or I'll read out the last four digits of your phone number. This is how you will know it is your turn to speak. You should then unmute your phone by tapping the unmute button on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, or by pressing star six on your phone. I will review these instructions briefly again when the public comment period on an item is open. Please wait until the item you wish to speak to has been called before raising your hand to speak. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. When you are announced as a next speaker, please unmute yourself and offer your comments. Also, please meet your volume on your TV or computer before you begin to speak. Thank you. A quorum is now present. And we will start with the approval of the committee actions. The actions before you for approval are for the meeting from October 9th, 2020. Do I have a motion to approve these actions? Thank you. Do I have a second? Second.
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