San Diego Rules Committee Meeting - October 19, 2022
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San Diego Rules Committee Meeting - October 19, 2022
This meeting of the Rules Committee was held on October 19, 2022, at 10:00 AM via hybrid format. The committee discussed and voted on several items including proposed amendments to the Rules of Council, updates to municipal code sections affecting the Mission Bay Park Committee, and received an informational update on a pilot program to provide free menstrual products at city facilities.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved the committee actions from September 21, 2022 (motion by Councilmember Lakava, second by Councilmember Whitburn, with Councilmember Campillo absent).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lori Sardon Saldania (non-agenda public comment) urged the committee to consider changing ethics committee rules to review campaign-related complaints during election season more quickly, citing a complaint against Gil Cabrera, the principal officer of the mayor's PAC. She noted Cabrera is under investigation by the airport authority for fundraising from entities doing business before the board.
- Lori Sardon Saldania (on agenda item 1) expressed support for expanding public comment time to three minutes and for creating a standalone Public Safety committee and a new Neighborhood Services committee. She asked about the earlier Tuesday start time and its impact on childcare.
- Julie Cineata (District 3) thanked staff for the backup materials and requested showing the chamber screen image on City TV 24. She also asked for clarity on the 30-minute non-agenda public comment period versus the stated 15 minutes.
- Todd (speaker name not fully given) called in but did not unmute; no comment captured.
- Lori Sardon Saldania (on agenda item 2) praised the updates to municipal code language and asked about the possibility of organized presentations on consent items.
- Judith Vaughns (Planned Parenthood Action Fund) fully supported the free menstrual products pilot (item 3) and urged the city to make it permanent.
- Lori Sardon Saldania (on item 3) supported the program and encouraged expanding distribution to unsheltered girls and women through homeless outreach teams and shelters.
- Tansi Woods (Planned Parenthood volunteer) supported the free menstrual products program.
- Cecilia Haidare (Youth Will) thanked Councilmember Lakava and staff, noting the importance of menstrual equity during COVID lockdowns, and hoped to see products at all city facilities.
- Claire Snyder (Youth Will) supported the program, stressing that menstrual products are necessities.
- Brandon Smith (father and Planned Parenthood volunteer) supported the program, noting San Diego could join other jurisdictions in providing free products.
- John Wee (community advocate) supported the program.
Discussion Items
Item 1: Amendments to Rules of Council
- Haley Lesser (Director of Legislative Affairs) presented proposed amendments, building on feedback from the September 21, 2022, rules committee meeting. Changes include updating standing committee composition (splitting Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods into two committees: Public Safety and Neighborhood Services), adjusting meeting times (moving closed session to Monday at 10:00 AM), updating public comment rules (formalizing virtual participation, increasing agenda comment to three minutes), using gender-neutral language, and updating department names.
- City Attorney Mara Elliott noted her office had prepared a draft ordinance and requested policy direction. She flagged that an earlier start time (9:00 AM) could conflict with school drop-off schedules.
- Committee members discussed several issues:
- Councilmember Lakava supported the amendments, emphasizing the need to update rules to reflect current practices. He questioned language regarding public comment relevance (Rule 2.6.1) and proposed an amendment to ensure items that bypass committee review (direct-docketed) cannot be placed on the consent agenda (Rule 2.4.3).
- Councilmember Whitburn proposed adding "worker rights and protections and job quality standards" to the scope of the Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee (Rule 6.10.1). He also suggested moving code enforcement from Public Safety to Neighborhood Services.
- Councilmember Kate suggested changing the consent agenda rule from "shall" to "may" to give the Council President discretion, and deferred discussion on making the City Clerk parliamentarian to a later date.
- The committee reached consensus on starting closed session at 10:00 AM on Mondays and moving to a 10:00 AM Tuesday start.
- Motion: Council President Elo Rivera moved to direct the City Attorney's office to prepare legal documents for proposed amendments to rules 1.2, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2, 2.4 (with restored subsection D), 2.6, 2.7, 2.10, 6.1, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.9, and 6.10 (as prioritized), including gender-neutral language, the addition of the Neighborhood Services committee, and the worker rights addition. The motion passed unanimously (with Councilmember Campillo absent).
Item 2: Amendments to Municipal Code Sections 26.30 and 26.31 (Mission Bay Park Committee)
- Chida Warren Darby (Director of Appointments, Boards, and Commissions) presented amendments to update department organization names (e.g., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife), change language to gender-neutral terms, and adjust Mission Bay Park Committee representation from specific council districts to districts containing the largest geographic area of Mission Bay Park due to redistricting. The amendments were requested by the Committee in February 2022 and passed 7-0.
- Councilmember Lakava moved to approve the staff recommendation. Councilmember Whitburn seconded. The motion passed unanimously (with Councilmember Campillo absent).
Item 3: Update on Implementation of Free for Me Pilot Program (Free Menstrual Products)
- Chrissy Chan (Policy Associate for Councilmember Lakava) presented the implementation plan for the Free for Me program, funded with $100,000 from the FY23 budget. The pilot will place dispensers at 50 city facilities: 14 libraries, 22 recreation centers (primarily with teen centers), and 14 pools. The total cost is approximately $113,000, with the Parks and Recreation and Library Departments agreeing to split the overage. The program aims to combat period poverty, especially for low-income individuals and youth.
- Public comments strongly supported the program, emphasizing its health and dignity benefits. Several speakers from Planned Parenthood and Youth Will urged the city to make the program permanent and consider distribution to unhoused populations.
- Councilmember Lakava thanked staff and noted the program is modeled after the county's successful pilot. Councilmember Whitburn expressed support and asked about tracking success (refill rates). Council President Elo Rivera thanked all advocates.
- This was an information item; no vote was taken.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the September 21, 2022, committee actions unanimously.
- Directed the City Attorney's office to prepare a draft ordinance for rules amendments, to be reviewed at a special rules committee meeting on November 4, 2022, at 1:00 PM.
- Approved amendments to Municipal Code sections 26.30 and 26.31 regarding department names and Mission Bay Park Committee composition.
- Received the implementation plan for the free menstrual products pilot; next steps include procurement and rollout coordination with the Mayor's office.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Uh good afternoon, everyone. Until further notice, committee meetings will be held conducted and will be conducted pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code 54953E added by Assembly Bill 361, which allows the city to use teleconferencing and to provide the public an opportunity to address the city council via a call-in option or an internet-based service option during a proclaimed state of emergency. In addition to being able to attend in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city on the city's website. And the committee liaison will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Additionally, members of the public who wish to provide testimony via a call-in option or an internet-based service option must enter the virtual queue within five minutes after the conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. Before I call the roll, um, I'd like to point out that this meeting has been scheduled since January, and Major League Baseball should have checked our legislative calendar when setting game times for the National League Championship Series. So to the Padres fans and the one Philly fan, Brendan. Uh Vice Chair Lakaba. Present. Committee member Whitburn. Here. Committee member Kate. And I am here. Deputy Director of the Independent Budget Analyst's Office, Jillian Cassidy. Next person up, right? All right. Um great. Brendan. If you are in person and want to provide public comment, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place in the box indicated the speaker's lecture in the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner. If you are in person, please come up to the reserve seats of the front of the room when your name is called and be prepared to come to the lecture and in the order called. 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. 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. If you are watching on via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it's your turn to speak. When I introduce the item you would like to comment on, please raise your hand by either tapping the raise your hand button on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, or by pressing star nine on your phone. You'll be taken in the order in which you raise your hand. You may only speak once on a particular item. When I indicate it's 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 if you have called into the meeting. If you have joined the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone, you will receive a pop-up notice to select the unmute your device. Uh you will receive a pop-up notice to select to unmute your device. If you have called into the meeting by cell phone or landline, press star six on your phone to unmute yourself. Please wait until the item you wish to speak as we call before raising your hand to speak. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. When you're announced as the next speaker, please unmute yourself and offer your comments. We will review these instructions briefly again when the public comment period on each item is open. Thank you, Brendan. With a quorum present, we will now take up the approval of the committee actions of September 21st, 2022. Brendan, please proceed with public comment. Public comment period for approval of the committee actions of September 21st, 2022 is now open. If you are in person, please submit your speaker slip and come up to reserve seats at the front of the room. Members of the public who wish to provide testimony via call internet 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. There's no request to speak in person and no hands are raised. That concludes public comment on this item. Thank you, Brendan. Do we have any committee member questions or comments on the um approval of the minutes? Um I'll move the item. Thank you, Councilman Lucava. And we've got a second from Councilman Whitburn.
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