San Diego Rules Committee Meeting - April 16, 2025
San Diego Rules Committee Meeting - April 16, 2025
The San Diego City Council's Rules Committee, chaired by Council Member Joel Ocava (District 1), met on April 16, 2025, at 10:00 AM. The agenda included consent items, a presentation on election code amendments, an update on the Get It Done program, and a contract amendment for Salesforce software. The meeting featured extensive public testimony on various issues, including air quality, cannabis education, and digital equity.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non‑Agenda Comments:
- Parita Javier described health impacts from a home business at 5238 Streamview Drive and requested relocation of the business to a safer area.
- Madison (public speaker) proposed a public outreach campaign on high‑potency cannabis health risks, citing CDPH research linking high THC to anxiety, psychosis, and cannabis use disorder.
- Terry Ann Skelly urged enforcement against smoke shops selling hemp products per SB 1498 and opposed closing the Northwestern police station in Carmel Valley.
- Blair Beekman called for clear processes for tech placement in neighborhoods and parks, warning about biometric tech in parks.
- Joyce (phone ending 870) questioned why autos have taken over the Gaslamp promenade and asked for oversight and transparency.
- Consent Agenda (Items 1 & 2):
- Blair Beekman requested more clarity in meeting minutes and opposed program cuts under Mayor Gloria’s budget.
- Joyce supported cleaning up outdated policies and praised the progress.
- Item 3 – Election Code Amendments:
- Cesar Javier questioned whether the amendments ensure clean public servants and effective elections.
- Joyce praised the color‑coded staff report and asked if Somali language could be added.
- Blair Beekman noted the item provides a good procedural reference for future elections.
- Item 5 – Get It Done Update:
- Cesar Javier stressed that technology is a tool but problem‑solving relies on people, asking how many in underserved communities use the app.
- Joyce expressed sadness over the elimination of the modernization team but urged harnessing current digital capabilities.
- Francine Maxwell (Southeastern San Diego) shared a personal experience with storm drain reporting and requested community outreach on weekends.
- Blair Beekman asked for clarity on why the prior plan for a new city government app was abandoned and how Get It Done has improved.
- Item 4 – Salesforce Contract Amendment:
- Cesar Javier called the tool insufficient without accountable decision‑makers.
- Joyce said the contract seems reasonable but noted budget concerns.
- Blair Beekman again questioned the shift away from a previously discussed 311‑integrated app.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: Approval of the March 19, 2025 committee minutes.
- Item 2: Repeal of Council Policy 100‑09 (Urban Development Action Grant revenue).
- Both items were approved unanimously (5‑0) with a motion by Councilmember Campillo and second by Vice Chair Lee.
Discussion Item: Election Code Amendments
- City Clerk Deana Fuentes presented amendments to the San Diego Municipal Code and Clerk Administrative Guidelines. Changes included requiring candidates to appear in person to obtain and submit nomination papers, updating the declaration of candidacy, adjusting the write‑in nomination period, and adding provisions for recounts and name changes. Three proposed changes were dropped: residency requirements, ballot argument order, and extended filing period. Legal review is ongoing.
- Committee members expressed support for the clarity and thoroughness of the update. Councilmember Campillo inquired about tie‑breaking procedures; the Clerk described a random lot process. Chair Lacava noted that changes for San Diego Unified School District elections would be added before full council.
- Vote: Motion to recommend approval to full council passed 5‑0.
Information Item: Get It Done Program Update
- Alex Hampton (acting director, Performance and Analytics) reported that Get It Done has ~250,000 app downloads, 23,000 monthly active users, and processes ~1,000 reports daily (nearly 400,000 in 2024). The platform covers 65 services across 11 departments and 33 functional areas. Improvements include after‑photos, closure codes, and a new dashboard with heat maps. Customer satisfaction and resolution rates have increased following process improvements for parking violations. A pilot user‑experience research project identified themes of accessibility, reliability, and gratification.
- Committee members addressed digital equity concerns. Councilmember Moreno advocated for a centralized 311 phone system, citing a city auditor recommendation and noting that San Diego is the only large California city without one. Councilmember Campillo requested better closure messaging for duplicate reports. Councilmember Lee asked about service impacts from budget cuts and highlighted the need for internal training. Chair Lacava praised the continuous improvement cycle.
- The item was for information only; no vote taken.
Discussion Item: Salesforce Software and Services Agreement – Third Amendment
- The Performance and Analytics Department requested approval to increase the contract not‑to‑exceed amount from $8.5 million to $20.5 million through FY 2030. The increase supports expansion of Salesforce‑based applications, notably for Public Utilities (e.g., automated move‑in/out forms) and Environmental Services (Measure B implementation). The general fund portion is ~$600,000 per year; enterprise funds cover the remainder. The IBA confirmed that regular license‑use monitoring helps contain costs.
- Councilmember Elo Rivera moved staff recommendation. Councilmember Moreno voted against, citing the general fund cost amid proposed budget cuts to basic services. Chair Lacava seconded and noted that the amendment only increases capacity, not committed spending.
- Vote: Motion passed 4‑1 (Moreno dissenting).
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved 5‑0.
- Election Code amendments recommended to full council 5‑0.
- Salesforce contract amendment approved 4‑1, increasing contract capacity to $20.5 million.
- Get It Done update received for informational purposes; staff will return with a customer experience strategy later this year.
- The meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:30 PM; the next regularly scheduled Rules Committee meeting is Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 9:00 AM.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Good afternoon and welcome to the rules committee meeting of April sixteenth, twenty twenty-five. I am Joel Ocava, Council Member for District One and Chair of the Committee. Our committee's liaison, Sarah Jordan. We'll go over instruction for today's meeting. And the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. Councilmember Elo Rivera. And I am present, also attending the meeting today. Sarah, please continue with public comment instructions. Thank you, Chair Lakava. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it on the top of the box indicated at the table 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 also 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. If you need to participate via telephone, you may dial 1669-2545252, inputting webinar ID 161-232-7007 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and it 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 delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak to a particular item, please 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 by pressing star nine on your cell phone or landline. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. All right, thank you, Sarah, for reviewing those instructions. A quorum is now present. We will now take up non-agenda public comment. The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings. Sarah, please proceed with non-agenda public comment. Thank you, Chair. 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 are within the subject matter jurisdiction of this committee. Each speaker will have two minutes. And if you need to participate by telephone, that phone number is 1669-2545252. Inputting webinar ID 161-232-0707 pound. We've received two speaker slips here in the committee room, so we will begin with in-person testimony. Perita Javier and Cesar Javier. If you can please approach the lecture, you will each have two minutes. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. I am Parita Javier, senior with existing medical condition and victim of inhalation and ingestion of air contaminants, airborne particulars, air quality, air pollution from a home business, located, constructed and operated at 5238 Streamview Drive, San Diego, California 92105, and Everhood, dedicated Red Central Zone, beginning in 1997 at the resident. Telling me not to go there, a spot near the Kern by the property common boundary. I remember too when I asked him why all our windows cannot be opened. He explained to me that he fastened them permanently because when he will be gone, I will be safe. A veteran personnel carpenter and a quiet man was a father figure of the honor, couple and family friends for many years in 2010. While I was at our kitchen, I heard him calling me only to find him lying in pain at the backyard after sharps hospitalization and rehabilitation from the fractured hips. At home on February 25, 2012, at the age of 92. The same home where his slate wife had her demise by Providence. Just to present to you the uh geographic location of that uh sardus home business. We honest from you. As expected, as assigned leaders to look into. It might be decimal point to you mathematically, but I tell you this is an issue not only for the two of us, but the entire community ranging probably about 100 to 150 populated by Asian Americans, including the Latino uh residents. This is not an appropriate issue.
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