Legislative Update
June 2023
By Craig Benedetto & Marshall Anderson, Legislative Advocates
SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL APPROVES BOMA-SUPPORTED UNAUTHORIZED CAMPING ORDINANCE
The BOMA San Diego supported Unauthorized Camping Ordinance was narrowly approved in a 5-4 vote, following hours of in-person and virtual testimony. The Ordinance, which is expected to go into effect by August, bans tent camping 24 hours a day in parks, beaches, canyons and within two blocks of schools, transit centers, and shelter locations. The ban would be predicated on shelter being available and would essentially require those camping in these areas to accept shelter or risk being cited. Prior to the encampment item being heard, the Council received a presentation on the City’s comprehensive shelter plan, which, as previously mentioned, is critical to triggering implementation. The shelter plan can be found HERE. The proposed unauthorized camping ordinance can be found HERE. The Ordinance will return to City Council on June 27 for a second reading before it can go into effect.
STATE OFFICIALS PROPOSE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PACKAGE AND BOND PROPOSAL Governor Gavin Newsom, along with Senator Susan Eggman and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, have proposed a legislative package and bond proposal to help address mental health issues in California. The package aims to provide additional housing and treatment opportunities for Californians with serious mental illness and substance use disorders by building 10,000 new beds across the state with wraparound services. Accompanying bills, SB 326 and AB 531 provide greater direction on how counties provide behavioral health services and change how behavioral health care funds are distributed. AB 531 authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $600,000,000 to provide more housing for veterans with behavioral health challenges. The bills will go through the legislative process and, if approved, will go to voters for approval in March 2024. To learn more, click HERE.
SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE ON WATER RATE INCREASE SEPTEMBER 19 City of San Diego water officials are proposing to raise water rates by 19.8 percent, slightly higher than the previously announced 17.6 percent increase. It is expected that the burden of the rate hike on typical single-family homeowners would be reduced instead placing a larger share on businesses and multi-family complexes, as proposed by the City’s Independent Budget Analyst. The increase is primarily driven by the rising costs of imported water, which constitutes the majority of the city's water supply. The proposal will be heard by City Council on September 19.
SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL APPROVES FY 2024 BUDGET
The Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget received unanimous City Council support. The Budget anticipates increased funding for public safety, cleanliness measures, homelessness, and development services to help expedite permitting:
• $18.9M: SDPD Recruitment and Retention and marketing efforts
• $9.2M: SDPD overtime spending
• $24.5M: San Diego Fire and Lifeguard funding
• $15.7M: San Diego Fire-Rescue overtime
• $81.7M: Additional homeless shelter beds, rental assistance, and a safe camping program
• $19.9M: Clean SD funding to increase street and sidewalk cleanup efforts, including encampments.
• $130M: Development Services Department to fill vacancies and quicken the permitting process
To view the full budget, click HERE.
CALIFORNIA FAILS TO REACH WATER CONSERVATION GOALS
A recent analysis found that water users in California fell short of Governor Newsom's request to reduce water use by 15% during the state's three-year drought. From July 2021 to March 2023, statewide savings amounted to 7%. The findings varied by region and water district, with the North Coast and San Francisco Bay areas saving the most (14% and 12%, respectively). The state is now focusing on long-term conservation efforts including new infrastructure projects and potential legislation targeting mandatory water reductions. State news on water conservation can be found HERE.
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SANDAG SEEKS TO REMOVE PROPOSED ROAD USAGE CHARGE, SEEKS INPUT ON 2025 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN
The San Diego Association of Governments has issued a proposed amendment to the 2021 Regional Plan, which includes the removal of a controversial road usage charge and updated revenue assumptions. Looking ahead, SANDAG will hold a public forum, June 29 at 6pm, via Zoom to gather input on the 2025 Regional Plan, which proposes projects and policies that will dictate the future of transportation in the San Diego region. To register for the online forum, click HERE. To learn more about the 2025 Regional Plan, click HERE.
FPPC OFFERS ADDITIONAL CLARITY ON SB 1439 (POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS), CITY OF SAN DIEGO INCREASES CONTRIBUTION LIMIT
The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has ruled that SB 1439, which requires local elected officials to recuse themselves from proceedings involving contributors to their campaigns, will also apply to elections involving candidates for city attorney, sheriff, and district attorney. Members pursuing land use entitlements are encouraged to monitor political contributions from their principals, employees, and consultants since this new rule could force an elected official to recuse themselves from votes on projects if they received a qualifying contribution in excess of the $250 aggregate threshold. To learn more, click HERE.
The City of San Diego is raising its campaign donation limits for the 2024 election cycle due to inflation. The maximum individual contribution to city council candidates increases from $650 to $750, while donations to mayoral and city attorney candidates rises from $1,200 to $1,350. The increases are due to San Diego tying its donation limits to consumer price index, reflecting roughly 7% inflation over the past two years.
AS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER, SB 1439 (Glazer), which is referenced above, requires city councilmembers and members of a county board of supervisors to recuse themselves from voting on real estate projects and government contracting decisions if they have received a contribution over $250 from the property owner, prospective contractors, or their agents, in the prior 12 months. The law also prohibits the aforementioned from making contributions over $250 while the land use entitlement or contract proceeding is pending and for 12 months following. BOMA members are urged to exhibit caution when making political contributions to candidates for local office. Political Action Committees are not impacted by the recent rule change.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO LAUNCHES NEW PERMIT CENTER DASHBOARD
The City’s Development Services Department has launched a new, online, regularly updated permit center dashboard. The intent is to allow users and other interested parties to be able to see how the department is doing on processing times. This interactive platform provides a comprehensive overview of the Development Services Department’s (DSD) permit data, inspections, and code enforcement. To see the dashboard, please click HERE.
SAN DIEGO PLANNING DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIZATION EFFORT The City of San Diego’s Planning Department has launched a new webpage to engage with community members on where and which City infrastructure projects should be prioritized. As part of Equity Forward, the Infrastructure Prioritization initiative aims to reach all communities in the city to collect public input through in-person events and a new online survey to identify where infrastructure is most wanted and needed. The infrastructure prioritization process also considers other factors in addition to community input, such as which projects will serve the most people, benefit structurally excluded communities, and can be delivered most quickly. The survey will be open year-round to allow community members to provide feedback on infrastructure needs. However, the survey will have an annual deadline for input to be collected and analyzed to produce the next Five-Year Capital Infrastructure Planning Outlook, which is updated yearly. Please visit the Infrastructure Prioritization Engagement webpage via the link below to learn more about this initiative and complete the survey by July 31, 2023, for next year’s Outlook. To learn more, please click HERE.
POWAY CITY COUNCIL TO FILL VACANCY BY APPOINTMENT
The Poway City Council has decided to fill the vacant seat of Councilmember Barry Leonard through an appointment process rather than a special election. Following Leonard's resignation last month, the council voted 3-1 to start accepting applications through June 30. Poway Mayor Steve Vaus proposed the appointment process as a way to bridge the divide among residents, while Councilmember Caylin Frank favored a special election due to the remaining time in Leonard's term. Applicants must meet certain requirements and can obtain applications either in person or online. Applications are available at the City Clerk’s office at City Hall, 13325 Civic Center Drive, or online at poway.org.
COUNTY APPOINTS NEW ETHICS, COMPLIANCE, AND LABOR CHIEF
Branden Butler has been appointed as the new Director of the County of San Diego's Office of Ethics, Compliance, and Labor Standards. In this role, he will be tasked with upholding ethical behavior and investigating complaints of unlawful discrimination and abuse, as well as employment law requirements. The position relates to the Board adopted new labor reporting rules and enforcement of those rules. To read Mr. Butler’s bio, please CLICK HERE.