San Diego City Council Rules Committee Meeting on April 18, 2024
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San Diego City Council Rules Committee Meeting on April 18, 2024
The Rules Committee of the San Diego City Council met on April 18, 2024, starting at approximately 9:00 a.m. under the chairmanship of Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. The meeting addressed a full agenda, including a stormwater funding ballot measure, multiple proposed charter amendments, and several items from a community member. The committee approved minutes, heard extensive public testimony, and took action on several items, while others were not advanced.
Consent Calendar
- The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the March 20, 2024 meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Stormwater Ballot Measure (Item 1): Over 30 speakers, many displaced by the January 22, 2024 flooding, urged the committee to advance a dedicated revenue source. Speakers included union representatives, environmental groups, and residents who described personal losses. A few speakers raised concerns about the tax rate and exemptions for low-income homeowners.
- Ethics Commission Charter Amendment (Item 2A): Several speakers supported the proposal, arguing that the current appointment process creates conflicts of interest. One speaker criticized the commission for failing to investigate certain matters. Union representatives and others urged independence.
- San Diego Unified School District Election Changes (Item 2B): Speakers supported the proposal to eliminate primary elections when races are uncontested, citing $450,000 in savings. One speaker opposed shortening the signature-gathering period.
- Clean Elections (Item 2C): Multiple speakers supported the concept of public financing for city council races, while a few questioned the cost and scope. Some advocated for a broader “democracy dollars” approach.
- Power San Diego Municipal Utility (Item 2D): The item drew more than 50 speakers. Union members (IBEW 465, Local 127, Building Trades) strongly opposed the measure, citing job losses and lack of worker input. Supporters, including environmental activists and residents, argued that SDG&E rates are among the highest in the nation and that a public utility would lower costs and promote clean energy. Several speakers noted that one in four San Diegans are behind on their electric bills.
- John Stump Proposals (Items 2E–2M): Each item received brief public comment, generally in favor of the concepts (e.g., school district reform, nuclear waste policy, budget transparency, zoo oversight, utility transition). One speaker consistently criticized the council for not advancing these items.
Discussion Items
- Item 1: Stormwater Ballot Measure – Policy Director Brenda Dantino presented the proposal, noting a $1.6 billion infrastructure deficit and the displacement of over 1,000 residents from the January 22 flood. The committee voted unanimously to refer the measure to the City Attorney to draft ballot language, with direction to work with Council Districts 1 and 9, and the Independent Budget Analyst.
- Item 2A: Ethics Commission Charter Amendment – City Attorney Mara Elliott proposed removing the Ethics Commission from City Charter Section 41, establishing an independent appointment process using retired judges, and giving the executive director authority to initiate investigations. After debate, Councilmember LaCava moved to refer the proposal to the City Attorney’s office, working with District 1 and the Ethics Commission Executive Director, to prepare ballot language. The motion passed 3-2, with Councilmembers Moreno and Lee dissenting over concerns about the judicial appointment panel.
- Item 2B: SDUSD Election Changes – The committee unanimously approved a motion to refer the proposal to the City Attorney, working with the San Diego Unified School District and the City Clerk, to draft ballot language for the November 2024 election.
- Item 2C: Clean Elections – Councilmember Campillo made a motion to refer the proposal to District 7 staff for further development, but the motion lacked a second, so no action was taken. The committee ended consideration of the item.
- Item 2D: Power San Diego Municipal Utility – After extensive testimony, Council President Pro Tem LaCava and Council President Elo-Rivera expressed opposition to placing the measure on the ballot, citing insufficient time to address labor and operational concerns. No motion was made, and the committee took no action.
- Items 2E–2M (John Stump Proposals) – For each of these nine items (school district elections, ethics, redistricting, La Jolla school district, nuclear energy, contract oversight, energy labeling, budget priorities, zoo oversight, utility transition), the committee took no action, effectively ending consideration of each proposal.
Key Outcomes
- Stormwater Measure: Unanimous vote to refer to City Attorney for drafting, with a return to the Rules Committee expected in June 2024.
- Ethics Commission Charter Amendment: Referred to City Attorney (with District 1 and Ethics Commission Executive Director) by a 3-2 vote; draft language due for a second hearing.
- SDUSD Election Reform: Unanimously referred to City Attorney, City Clerk, and SDUSD for ballot language.
- Clean Elections, Power San Diego, and Stump Proposals: No action taken; consideration ended for each.
- Next Meeting: The committee adjourned to the next Rules Committee meeting on June 5, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, John. Please do an audio check for us today. Mr. Stump, would you mind doing an audio check for us to make sure that your audio is coming through okay? Audio check stump. How about that? Thank you very much, sir. If you're wanting to do uh just FYI, if you're wanting to do public comment uh on other items other than presenting on your own, we're going to have to have you wait until the end since you're on the panelist side, okay. Oh, I'd love to wait until the end of the other people's presentations. Correct. Yes, like I'm gonna want to uh comment on uh Richard Burrera in the school district. Okay, probably the ethics, uh independent ethics one. Okay, then just raise your hand at the appropriate time, and we'll make sure to fall on you. You're marvelous in the chamber looks good. Thanks, sir. Thank you. We're gonna get started here. Thank you, Mr. Stump. Thank you, bye-bye. Our committee liaison, Natalie Kessler will go over information and instruction for today's meeting. Thank you, Council President. While 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, and council administration 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 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 coup 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. Also attending the meeting is Gillian Andalina, Deputy Director of the Independent Budget Analyst Office, Deputy City Attorney Kathy Steinman, and Director of Policy for Mayor Todd Gloria, Matt Kagyagan. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the box indicated at the speaker's lecture at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. 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 style 1669-2545252 when prompted, input webinar ID 1605498117 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. 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 via city 24 or online, there may be a delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. As a reminder, if you wish to speak on a particular item or sub-item today, wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon. Or if you are a call-in participant, star nine on your cell phone or landline. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Council President. Thank you, Natalie. All right. Uh with that, we now have a quorum present. Let's take up the approval of committee minutes from March 20th, 2024. Do we have public comment on those minutes? Thank you, Chair. Yes, we do have public comment. We currently do not have any speakers who have indicated that they wish to speak in chambers, but we have two hands raised in the virtual queue, so I'll begin the five-minute timer for all those to indicate that they wish to speak. Each speaker will have one minute on the past committee minutes. We will begin with the original.
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