Dear Neighbor,

The City’s newly approved Unsafe Camping Ordinance takes effect in a couple weeks.

Enforcement of the ordinance will take place with input across City departments and includes education of the new law, both internally and externally.

For several weeks, the City’s non-law enforcement outreach teams have been educating individuals living in encampments near schools and parks about what this new law means for them.

The outreach teams ensure that individuals understand the implications of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance, the potential consequences, and the available alternatives like our Safe Sleeping site or other indoor shelter and Safe Parking options.

By establishing relationships and fostering open dialogue, these outreach teams are creating opportunities for people who are unhoused to take steps towards a more stable future.

Enforcement of the ordinance will be a scaled approach – starting first near schools and parks most impacted by encampments. Officers will use the Progressive Enforcement Model, which offers shelter and services at each interaction before enforcement action is taken.

It’s important to remember is that this ordinance is merely one component of our strategy to address homelessness, and change will not happen overnight.

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor.

City Council Unanimously Approves Effort to Fix San Diego Streets Faster

City Council voted unanimously last week to approve my recommended updates to the Street Preservation Ordinance, which will ultimately help improve the condition of the City’s streets.

City streets are often trenched to perform underground utility and other work, but once the work is done, our streets are not always left in good condition (as pictured in the photo to the left). My approved amendments are based on a simple concept: You break it, you fix it. 

Thanks to the City Council, our updated Street Preservation Ordinance will now ensure that City roads will receive full and timely restoration, as well as full cost recovery to protect taxpayers from picking up the tab for dammage caused by others.

I am grateful to the representatives from industry who provided valuable feedback over many months and worked with us to move this policy forward. The updated ordinance will ensure that private utilities, City crews and contractors who excavate in the right of way are held to a high standard of complete and timely repairs.

The amendments will also enhance street safety by requiring higher quality resurfacing after trenching and tighter time limits for temporary asphalt patches, which often sink and make the streets uneven. The updated guidelines also will improve coordination among all projects operating in the right-of-way, reducing repeated work on the same street and limiting impacts on communities.

Other changes to the ordinance include adding restoration requirements for concrete streets and alleys; reducing existing moratoriums on asphalt overlay from five years to three years and slurry seal from three years to one year; requiring most trenching and restoration work to be completed within 180 days; and adjusting the street damage fee to ensure the public is made whole for the total cost of damages and reduced service life from activity on our City roads.

Overall, this updated policy will increase the longevity of roads and account for the costs of damages upfront, rather than allowing repairs to become an unfunded burden on taxpayers.

The Next Chapter for the Downtown Old Central Library

As planned and outlined in the Comprehensive Shelter Strategy, the 36-bed Alliance Shelter at the Old Central Library in Downtown is closing as an overnight shelter for six months, but will remain in use during daytime hours for outreach work.

We opened the temporary shelter this past January to get vulnerable people safely off the street and put on a path to housing. With our 180-day permit expiring, we will be closing the shelter on July 23, with plans to reopen it in six months with a new 180-day permit. The people currently using the shelter will be placed in other accommodations.

When we opened the shelter, I indicated that our long-term plan for the property was to transform it into shelter and affordable housing, and that’s precisely what we intend to do. I will be bringing a proposal to the City Council this fall.

I want to thank the National Alliance on Mental Illness San Diego, the operator of the shelter, for their partnership in our efforts to address homelessness in Downtown. Even with the closure, NAMI is continuing to help us connect people living in Downtown encampments to permanent housing.

Through April 30, 2023, the shelter served 105 women, 77 of whom were chronically homeless. Of these clients, 49 were at least 55 years old, 45 were women of color and 40 were survivors of domestic violence. Twenty-two women exited the shelter to temporary or permanent destinations. Data from May through July will be available in the coming weeks.

The temporary permit the City secured for use of the library as overnight shelter is limited to 180 days within a 12-month period. To continue the use of the structure for overnight shelter would require a change of use.

Smoothing Roads with Cost-Effective Slurry Seal

Several San Diego neighborhoods will soon have improved and safer streets thanks to the City’s slurry seal program that is resurfacing roads citywide.

Over the next few weeks, the City will be resurfacing streets in and around Otay Mesa and Nestor, and in the communities of Del Cerro, Tierrasanta, Scripps Ranch, Sabre Springs and Rancho Peñasquitos.

Slurry seal reduces the need for a more costly asphalt overlay and reconstruction for badly deteriorated streets. These latest slurry projects should be completed over the next three weeks.

To see a map of street repair and other projects in your neighborhood, visit the City’s interactive Project Finder map, and if you don’t see a road you know needs work on the map, submit a report via the City’s Get it Done app.

State Funding for Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing in Underserved Communities

Our partners at the State of California are providing millions of dollars to help local governments and agencies plan for and build affordable housing near transit hubs in neighborhoods that need it the most.

The program, called the Regional Early Action Planning Grants of 2021, or REAP 2.0, will result in more housing near amenities and transportation hubs and result in fewer cars on the road and less greenhouse gas emissions.

Thanks to an incredible joint effort from SANDAG (San Diego Association of Governments), the City of San Diego, Casa Familiar, National CORE and Malik Infill Development, we have won a $10 million grant from the REAP 2.0 Higher Impact Transformative (HIT) allocation to help us build more affordable housing in our region.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is backing local governments like ours that are working hard to address the housing shortage and climate crisis with a focus on under-resourced communities, which often bear the biggest brunt of the climate crisis.

The funding is yet another shining example of what we get done when San Diego’s government agencies and community partners work together.

With this award, SANDAG will invest $10 million along the Trolley Blue Line, which includes infrastructure investments to support a 483-unit, transit-oriented affordable and middle-income housing project and other community services, capital improvements to convert an alleyway into a multimodal corridor linked to the trolley station, and the establishment of a rent-to-own Community Land Trust for low-income households.

President Biden Nominates Mayor Gloria to Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation

I am deeply honored to be nominated by President Joe Biden as a trustee of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees is an independent federal agency that promotes careers in public service and is responsible for the administration and selection of the Truman Scholars scholarship program recipients. This federally funded scholarship program awards up to $30,000 to students who demonstrate leadership potential, academic excellence, and a commitment to public service. The Scholarship is a highly competitive award, with only about 60 students selected each year.

I myself was a Truman Scholarship recipient, and this program absolutely supported and grew my interest in public service. I know how critical it is to support young people interested in careers in public service. That’s what the Truman Scholarship provided me, and I look forward to helping ensure it continues to develop America’s next generation of talented public servants.

I’m looking forward to adding this responsibility to my work as Mayor to help develop America’s next generation of leaders. The Board, which meets biannually, is responsible for the administration of the scholarship program including the selection of Truman Scholars each year from a pool of highly qualified applicants.

I would work with 18 other board members under the leadership of former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who serves as Board Chair. The board also includes Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Brian Schatz, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger and Congressman Andy Kim.

This presidential appointment is an unpaid volunteer position and I look forward to going through the confirmation process with the United States Senate in coming months.

GETTING IT DONE: FIXING OUR STREETS

More Than 50 Miles of Streets Resurfaced

During fiscal year 2023, which ended on June 30, City staff and contractors have worked to resurface nearly 52 miles of City streets! That's up from 33 miles completed the year prior and more than 80% of the way to the goal of 63 miles completed. Thank you to the City crews out there getting this work done for all of us.

MAYOR GLORIA AROUND TOWN

Celebrating LGBTQ Pride

I had the great honor of attending several Pride events, and it all culminated in one of my favorite annual traditions – marching in the San Diego LGBTQ Pride Parade!

Announcing the Return of the San Diego Veterans Day Parade

The Veterans Day Parade is back! I joined the USS Midway Museum to announce the post-COVID return of this beloved tradition. San Diego is a proud military town and we are looking forward to acknowledging, honoring and celebrating our local veterans and their families. I invite all of you to join us Downtown on November 12 to mark the return of this important event.

Mayor for a Day Runner-Up

I met with Keziah Brefo, the runner up in our “Mayor for a Day” contest to congratulate her for entering and being selected as a runner-up in my annual Mayor for a Day essay competition. At age 10, I entered then-Mayor Maureen O’Connor’s “Mayor for a Day” contest and was selected as the runner-up, so I wanted to be sure to meet with Keziah and encourage her to continue pursuing public service because you never know where it might take you! d

Meeting with East Village Residents

I was happy to join the monthly meeting for the East Village Residents Group. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn and I thanked them for their support of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance, and we filled them in on its next steps. East Village is one of the neighborhoods most impacted by our homeless crisis, so I appreciate their feedback and support as we work to address it.

COMMUNITY UPDATES

Stay Cool in the Heat

During periods of extreme heat, the City designates certain recreation centers, libraries and other public buildings as places for San Diegans to seek relief from warmer weather.

These locations will be open on identified days, and additional locations may be added, and dates extended depending on the severity and duration of the heatwave. Service animals will be allowed entry.

All San Diego Public Library locations are designated locations for people to seek relief. For a list of library locations, please visit the library's Locations page.

For information on the San Diego County Cool Zone program and other suggested measures for beating the heat, visit coolzones.org.

Celebrate Comic-Con at Your Library

Master storyteller Kazu Kibuishi will discuss his bestselling fantasy series, Amulet, on July 18 at the San Diego Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common.

Look back at 15 years of adventure and the conclusion to the series, Amulet: Waverider. This is a free event, open to the public. A book-signing will follow the presentation. Attendees who pre-order a copy of Amulet: Waverider through the Library Shop SD will receive a free Amulet tote and poster at the event while supplies last.

Click here for a full list of upcoming Comic-Con events happening at your local libraries.

Proposed Water Rate Adjustments

Ahead of the Sept. 19 public City Council hearing on proposed water-rate increases, the City of San Diego is hosting community information meetings where you will have the opportunity to hear a detailed presentation about water rates from Public Utilities Department staff and ask questions.

Please join so you can voice your opinion:

Wednesday, July 26, at the Public Utilities Department Auditorium, 9192 Topaz Way, San Diego, CA 92123.

Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Valencia Park / Malcolm X Library, 5148 Market St., San Diego, CA 92114.

Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Pacific Beach / Taylor Library, 4275 Cass St., San Diego, CA 92109.

All meetings will be from 6 to 7 p.m.

RSVPs are encouraged.

World Design Capital

The public submission form for World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024 (WDC 2024) is now open!

World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024 is excited to invite the regional community to participate by showcasing your rich design history and how it is transforming the region. Your contributions will mean we can reach more people, communities, and areas by creating volunteering and partnership opportunities, and offering a diverse, eclectic, informative, and exceptional array of programming. Submit your ideas for activations, events, exhibitions, projects and more to be considered in World Design Capital programming.

Beach Bug Launch

The City of San Diego and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) officially launched a pilot program for The Beach Bug, a new fleet of neighborhood electric vehicles that provide a quick and easy way to get around Pacific Beach.

By providing access to popular locations in Pacific Beach, the new Beach Bug shuttle service will reduce demand for parking near coastal attractions, make it more convenient to take public transit to the beach and support the City’s Climate Action Plan goals.

Operated by Circuit, the service will be free for the first three months.

NEVs are all-electric, low-speed shuttles that travel up to 25 mph. With a fleet of four vehicles in rotation, riders can request service on The Beach Bug using the Circuit app, which can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play, or by calling 858-258-9680. A wheelchair-accessible ride is available upon request.

Summer hours for The Beach Bug are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays; and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. After three months of free service, the cost will be $2.50 for all-day use; free for youth 18 and younger; and free to those coming to and from the Balboa Avenue Transit Station.

In addition to funds provided by SANDAG and the City, the shuttle will be funded through revenue collected from on-street parking meters coming this summer and located throughout the business areas in Pacific Beach. Throughout the two-year pilot, other funding options – such as advertising revenue and small-fare collection – will be explored to determine the long-term sustainability of the service after the pilot concludes.

More information about The Beach Bug can be found at sandiego.gov/pbshuttle.

The City is Investing in Arts and Culture

To promote greater public participation in artistic and cultural activities, the City of San Diego will grant funds to 186 local nonprofit organizations this fiscal year.

The funding will support programs and activities such as film and video screenings, exhibits, performances, festivals, parades and other neighborhood events.

The City’s Commission for Arts and Culture annually funds local nonprofit organizations to cultivate and expand arts and culture activities in all City Council districts. The Commission’s Organization Support Program (OSP) and Creative Communities San Diego (CCSD) award the funding, which is generated through a local allocation of Transient Occupancy Tax collected from visitors who stay overnight in hotels, motels and other similar accommodations.

The OSP provides general operating support to nonprofit arts and culture organizations to help deliver programs and activities that offer residents and tourists direct access to arts and culture opportunities. This positively impacts San Diegans’ quality of life and tourism. In fiscal year 2024, which runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, the OSP will award more than $10.1 million to 113 organizations.

While the OSP supports nonprofit organizations, CCSD provides support for neighborhood projects. For the fiscal year 2024, the City’s CCSD will award more than $2 million to 73 projects. The City will announce the OSP and CCSD application process for fiscal year 2025 in the fall of this year.

The City of San Diego advances and drives an equitable and inclusive creative economy and cultural ecosystem by investing in the work of artists and creatives and institutions and systems that amply creative work and experiences.

To learn more, visit sandiego.gov/arts-culture.

Employee Benefit Program to Assist with Childcare costs

As part of an ongoing effort to support the City of San Diego’s workforce, the City is launching a pilot program to support employees with the cost of childcare for children up to 12 years old. The Municipal Child Care Benefit Pilot Program is funded through a federal grant championed by Congresswoman Sara Jacobs.

This pilot program will help us better understand the childcare needs across our 12,000-person workforce and help the City attract and retain skilled employees for the future.

Participation in the Municipal Child Care Benefit Pilot program will be available to eligible employees with monthly payment amounts based on need.

The City has contracted with Tootris, a cloud-based software provider that specializes in helping parents and providers connect and transact in real-time, empowering working parents to secure quality childcare services. Eligibility and need factors for the Municipal Child Care Benefit Pilot program were developed in consideration with other subsidized childcare programs implemented in California.

Help Prevent Fires Sparked by Lithium Batteries

Fires ignited by Lithium-ion batteries are happening more often in San Diego and beyond.

Many of these fires are due to improper storage, overcharging and damaged batteries. There are many precautions people can take when using lithium-ion batteries, including always following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

All types of batteries are considered hazardous waste in California, and, according to state law, batteries and other types of hazardous waste must be handled properly and are not allowed to be disposed of at a solid waste landfill. Proper disposal of batteries is key to preventing fires that endanger our firefighters and members of the public.

The City’s Environmental Services Department provides information on its webpage on recycling events and appointments to recycle batteries and other hazardous products at the City of San Diego’s Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility. The City offers several collection events throughout the year.

Residents can also make an appointment using the Get It Done app to dispose of batteries.

Climate Resilient SD Has a New Look

The City Planning Department has updated the webpage for Climate Resilient SD, the City’s first-ever climate adaptation and resilience plan.

The new webpages are organized by the four primary climate change hazards facing the City: extreme heat, wildfire, sea-level rise and flooding. Each hazard has its own webpage that includes: what the best available science tells us to anticipate for a changing climate; some of the plans, policies or programs the City is implementing to address the climate hazard; and resources and information to help you prepare for these climate-change hazards.

The Climate Resilient SD plan and all associated planning documents and vulnerability assessments are still available under “View Climate Resilient SD Plan.”

Check out the new Climate Resilient SD webpages now!

San Diego is a Public Art Challenge Finalist City!

We are thrilled to announce that Bloomberg Philanthropies has selected San Diego as one of 17 finalist cities in the running to receive up to $1 million as part of its Public Art Challenge.

This unique grant program supports public art projects that address important local civic issues in cities across the country. The City of San Diego’s proposed project, “To Draw a Circle on the Earth,” with interdisciplinary arts collective Postcommodity and implementation partners Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego and Museum of Us, would bring people together to address equity through community-driven public art. Specifically, the project would create a platform for Indigenous arts, cultural programming by the Kumeyaay people and other Indigenous communities.

San Diego was selected as a finalist from more than 150 project proposals received from cities in 40 U.S. states. This fall, Bloomberg Philanthropies will select up to 10 winning cities to execute their projects over the next two years.

Visit publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org to learn more about the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge and stay tuned for updates on our city’s proposed project.

What Do You Want for Your Neighborhood?

Does your neighborhood need better sidewalks? Park updates? Library upgrades? The City’s planning department wants to hear from you

Infrastructure is not just the buildings, roads and spaces that surround us—it is the essential fabric that connects us to opportunity. Our city's infrastructure - roads, sidewalks, parks, libraries, public safety facilities, water facilities and more - shapes the health, safety, economic vibrancy, environmental well-being and overall quality of life in our neighborhoods. Because of this, equitable infrastructure investment is essential to achieve equal opportunity to employment, health, education, recreation and more for all San Diegans.

The City wants your input to help prioritize infrastructure investment and ensure infrastructure goes where it will best meet community members' needs and improve their lives.

Give us your input by filling out the survey in English or Spanish.

Help Inspire San Diego’s Creative Future

We have launched our engagement efforts for the citywide cultural plan. We’ll host our first public events to help shape Creative City, the City of San Diego’s first-ever citywide cultural plan.

The cultural plan's development starts with a robust community engagement process to hear what San Diegans envision for their creative lives and to set a strategic framework for guiding the arts and cultural sectors. Discover our Creative City June schedule of forums and public pop-ups across the city. Creative City public events are free and open to all.

All San Diegans are invited to join the launch of the cultural planning process tonight. Click here for details.

Be Part of Our Far South/Border North Grant Opportunity!

The City’s Far South/Border North program provides grants to artists and cultural practitioners living and working in San Diego and Imperial counties to support the creation of media, outreach, and engagement campaigns that increase public awareness of pressing challenges facing the region via a regional, open-call process.

In the first phase, which is now closed, grants were awarded through a competition open to individual artists and cultural practitioners. In the second phase, now open, grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations, units of government and tribal governments to participate in Far South/Border North and hire artists and cultural practitioners from San Diego and Imperial counties.

The second phase of the Far South/Border North application ends on at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 19. Apply now.

Partnering for Progress

The City of San Diego’s Planning Department is launching a new initiative called “Partnering for Progress” to bring the City and community organizations together to improve planning and implementing infrastructure projects.

Partnering for Progress will allow public, private and nonprofit entities to collaborate and help the City better understand and identify deficiencies and barriers that individuals and organizations face when working on an infrastructure project with the City. We welcome the public to share their experiences of working with the City on public projects by completing this survey by July 31. Questions and comments are welcome by email to publicspaces@sandiego.gov.

Easily Track Your Permit Requests’ Progress

The City of San Diego is excited to announce the launch of the Permitting Center Dashboard, a dynamic, interactive platform designed to provide up-to-date information on DSD's permit, inspections and code enforcement activity. This tool, part of the #DigitalDSD initiative, aims to enhance transparency, increase access to essential data and empower users with valuable insights into DSD's operations.

Navigating the dashboard is simple and intuitive, with options to switch between different permit categories, including overall permitting applications, residential permitting applications and Accessory Dwelling Unit/Junior ADU applications. Users can filter the data to match their needs, using the search parameters section.

Host Operating Requirements of STRO Ordinance in Effect as of May 1

The Building & Land Use Enforcement (BLUE) Division of DSD is now enforcing host operating and licensing requirements for the Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) Ordinance. The STRO Ordinance requires a license when renting a dwelling unit, or part thereof for less than one month within the City of San Diego. To determine if your property is located within the City, reference the City of San Diego Council District Map.

Short-term rentals can only occur at a dwelling that was built with all permits, approvals and inspections and at a dwelling free of code violations. Accessory Dwelling Units, Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, affordable housing units, guest quarters, tiny homes and outdoor tents/sleeping areas are prohibited from being used as short-term rentals.

BLUE will focus enforcement mainly on STRO licensing and operation requirements. The enforcement team includes five field staff personnel who work Wednesdays through Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Complaints about violations can be submitted through the Get It Done app.

Get to Know Your Green Bin

The City of San Diego is hosting a series of free informational presentations for residents on the new green bin and collection schedule.

These presentations are offered as virtual Zoom webinars or in-person workshops at select locations. Residents are encouraged to register after they have received their official notifications from the City that their home will be onboarded into this new service.

Translation services are available upon request; attendees must let their language preferences during registration at least 3 days in advance of the event to provide time to book an interpreter. If you have special language needs or require additional assistance, please email sdrecyclingworks@sandiego.gov or call 858-694-7000.

Free informational Zoom webinars – “Your Home’s New Green Bin”

July 19, 2023 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Free informational in-person workshops – “Your Home’s New Green Bin”

Mira Mesa Library (8405 New Salem St, San Diego, CA 92126)

July 29, 2023 from 11 a.m. to noon

Summer Reading Program Begins!

Grab a new library card and get reading during the City of San Diego Public Library’s 2023 Summer Reading Program! This year’s theme is “Discover Your Voice” and readers of all ages are encouraged to share their stories, express themselves and spark change.

The program began June 1 and runs through Aug. 31. Participants can earn prizes by completing 10 books, 10 hours of reading or a combination of reading and activities. Activities include attending a library storytime or Summer Reading event, starting a journal or recommending a book to a friend.

The Summer Reading Program offers age categories for children (ages 0-5 and 6-11), youth (ages 12-17) and adults (ages 18 and up). After completing the program, readers will be eligible for prizes including free books, meal vouchers and passes to local museums. Reading and activities can be tracked online or on paper logs printed at home or picked up at any SDPL location.

Last year, more than 24,000 people participated in the Summer Reading Program, reading nearly 366,000 books. To register online and view lists of recommended books and activities, visit sandiego.gov/summerreading.

Also, for the first time, the library is offering a Padres-themed library card for patrons this summer. Starting Monday, June 5, new users can get the Padres card by signing up for a library card for free at any of the City’s 36 libraries. Existing patrons can replace their current cards at no cost.

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202 C St., 11th Floor

San Diego, CA 92101

619-236-6330

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