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Dear Neighbor,
Starting soon in select parks and schools, we will begin enforcing the Unsafe Camping Ordinance.
The San Diego Police Department utilizes a progressive enforcement model, meaning people experiencing homelessness are given the option to accept shelter and services. If, on the third offer, the shelter and services are denied, the individual will be arrested.
I want to be clear: Arresting people is not what we want. Our desire is for people who are unhoused and living on our sidewalks and in our parks to accept services and shelter.
It’s also important to know we are already out enforcing existing laws today, but this ordinance provides an additional tool for law enforcement to protect public health and safety. Leading up to this, City outreach workers have been working to bring people into shelter and educating them about what they can expect with the new ordinance.
I want to remind San Diegans that addressing homelessness will not be achieved overnight. We all want to see visible progress on our City’s homeless crisis, and we must also be patient and persistent as we work together to start making this much-needed change.
As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor.
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Major Upgrades on Major Otay Mesa Thoroughfare
The long-awaited La Media Road improvements project is moving forward!
This thoroughfare in Otay Mesa is a vital connection for our cross-border economy and community, and this project will help result in more efficient cross-border commerce, more jobs, less traffic and an improved street.
La Media Road is part of the designated truck route for the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and is a vital location for boosting the cross-border economy. The $60.6 million project will raise the intersection of La Media and Airway roads to address persistent flooding. La Media Road will also be turned into a six-lane primary arterial from State Route 905 to Airway Road, and a five-lane major road between Airway and Siempre Viva roads with three southbound lanes and two northbound lanes.
Additional improvements include buffered bike lanes, parkway landscaping, traffic signal installation and pedestrian improvements, including curb rams and continental crosswalks. The improvements to La Media Road will make the street safer, provide congestion relief and improve access for freight trucks going through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
With support from stakeholders including Caltrans, the California Transportation Commission and SANDAG, the City was able to secure $22.7 million in state grant funds to help cover the costs of the construction phase of the project.
As construction work gets underway, La Media Road is closed in both directions from State Route 905 to Avenida de la Fuente. All access to southbound La Media Road from both SR-905 offramps will remain closed while the La Media Road closure is in effect.
The work will take place in two phases. The first phase includes La Media Road from SR-905 to Avenida de la Fuente and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024 with the reopening of the intersection, allowing truck traffic through the designated truck route. Work will then shift south on La Media Road from Avenida de la Fuente to Siempre Viva Road and include partial traffic closures. This phase of work is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024.
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Smart Streetlight Program to Enhance Public Safety Moves Forward
The City Council’s Public Safety Committee voted to advanced the San Diego Police Department’s proposal to use Smart Streetlights and Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technologies to help investigate and solve crimes.
The proposed technology would be installed at 500 initial locations throughout the city.
SDPD has provided a wealth of information publicly as the program was vetted by the City’s Privacy Advisory Board. SDPD has also presented at nine community meetings across the city, and responded to more than 100 questions and requests for information from the Privacy Advisory Board and community members regarding Smart Streetlights and ALPR.
A little more than 3,000 Smart Streetlights were deployed in San Diego before being deactivated in 2020 due to concerns over how the program was rolled out and questions about privacy protection.
Prior to that, SDPD used Smart Streetlight data to help investigate and solve more than 400 crimes, including 26 hit-and-runs, 55 robberies or burglaries, 19 sex crimes, 10 carjackings and 56 murders or attempted murders.
One of those murders that Smart Streetlight data helped solved was in 2018 when Ghedeer Radda was killed in a robbery at his East Village business. Smart Streetlight footage helped investigators identify and arrest the suspects. My office heard from his niece Nicole last week about how Smart Streetlights helped family members rest easier knowing Ghedeer’s murderer is now behind bars.
Police Chief David Nisleit says bringing back the use of Smart Streetlights will be a game-changer for the San Diego Police Department. Investigators will be able to home in on suspects more quickly and with greater precision.
A Grand Jury Report released in June 2022 found that the use of Smart Streetlights by SDPD presented no valid privacy concerns and recommended that the Mayor and City Council authorize and fund the reinstatement of the use of Smart Streetlights immediately.
Smart Streetlights and ALPR will now move forward to full City Council. On Tuesday, the Council will vote on the policy that will help protect civil liberties of San Diegans while also ensuring SDPD can use this crucial technology to solve crime. Click here to voice your support of this program.
If approved, the department can then move forward with a contract for the technology and help keep San Diego one of the safest big cities in the country.
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San Diego Selected as First North American City to Host Climate Workshop Series
San Diego was chosen to host the first World Economic Forum “City Sprint” workshop in North America. This is a testament to our city's growing prominence as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration in the climate space.
"City Sprint" is an initiative that brings together diverse stakeholders – including government officials, industry leaders, academics, community partners and social entrepreneurs – to address urban challenges and explore innovative strategies to decarbonize.
San Diego was chosen to host this series in part because of our unique blend of academic institutions, research centers and industry expertise. We also have a proven track record of our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
The City of San Diego has been recognized globally for our efforts in renewable energy, climate action and conservation. Since taking office, my administration has accomplished big and small climate actions, including starting the construction of eight microgrid solar projects at City facilities, rolling out our organic waste recycling program, establishing a Climate Equity Fund and so much more.
San Diego has set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean technologies with our Climate Action Plan. The “City Sprint” workshop is yet another tool that will help us reach those goals and create a more sustainable future for all of us.
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Here Comes the Money!
July is perhaps the busy month for San Diego, with three big events that bring big money into our region. These are dollars that fix streets and perform other services city residents rely on.
The Big Bay Boom fireworks show that happens every Fourth of July attracts big crowds every year from around the country. In 2022, the Independence Day event brought in an estimated $59 million in economic impact on our region.
San Diego LGBTQ Pride attracts more than 100,000 spectators and, according to the San Diego Tourism Authority, the annual event brings in about $30 million of economic impact to the community.
Comic-Con attracts more than 135,000 registered fans from all over the world, along with over 2,500 members of the media from more than 30 countries, and the estimated impact to the local San Diego economy is more than $165 million every year.
The hotel room taxes that these visitors generate make up a healthy portion of our City’s budget. These are dollars that we use to help address homelessness, fix our roads, fund our parks and our libraries and just about every other City service that we provide that keeps San Diego running.
I am so happy to see San Diego’s event and tourism industry booming!
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GETTING IT DONE: FIXING OUR STREETS | |
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Smoothing Streets in Clairemont
Ensign Street in Clairemont has just received the resurfacing treatment, thanks to the Asphalt Resurfacing Group 1901 project! The City is making tremendous efforts to improve streets across the city, providing safer and smoother infrastructure for all of us.
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Catching Up With Tierrasanta Residents
I met with Kiwanis Club members in Tierrasanta to learn more about the work they’re doing to improve the neighborhood and the work they want the City to keep doing to keep their neighborhood safe and clean. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. There are more than 20 active clubs in San Diego, and I am thankful for the work they do for our city.
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Connecting Veterans to Services and Resources
Veterans Village of San Diego’s (VVSD) annual Stand Down event offers services and resources to our region’s veterans who are experiencing homelessness. Veterans Village serves hundreds of our local veterans every year, and I was honored to attend this year’s event. The City of San Diego is fully committed to working to end veteran homelessness, but we cannot do this work alone, which is why I am so thankful to nonprofit and community partners like VVSD.
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Free Coding Class for Kids
The City, through its Promise Zone Program partner, is working with the League of Amazing Programmers to host a free Java Coding Camp for kids and teens!
This camp will be held July 24-28 at the Malcolm X Library, 5148 Market St., from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. To register, call 858-284-0481.
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City of San Diego Wants to Hear from San Diegans on Creative City Cultural Plan
This month, the City of San Diego will host a new series of public engagement events and share tools that San Diegans can use to provide input for developing the first-ever cultural plan, Creative City. The seven to 10-year cultural plan aims to align arts and culture citywide with key priority areas, including housing, mobility, infrastructure, sustainability and regional prosperity.
The cultural plan development process involves listening through a robust public engagement process, gathering and analyzing data to inform a future with culture and creativity at the center of San Diego’s collective well-being and livelihood.
To hear directly from residents, the City will host a virtual Creative City Forum on Monday, July 24, from 5:30-7 p.m., where San Diegans can learn about the cultural planning process, participate in interactive activities and weigh in on the City's creative future.
San Diegans can also stop by in-person pop-up events to learn more about the planning process, share insights on what they want for the future of arts and culture in their neighborhoods and surrounding communities, enjoy refreshments and participate in a unique hands-on art-making experience. This month, pop-up events will be held at six locations on four different days:
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
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5:30-7 p.m. at San Ysidro Library
- The event will be in Spanish; English interpretation is available.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Other language interpretation is available upon request in advance. To help the City’s cultural planning project team gather additional public input, they are also asking residents to fill out the online survey.
San Diegans are also encouraged to host community conversations with friends, family, colleagues, neighbors and other groups about the future of arts and culture with toolkits available on the City's website. The toolkit is available in multiple languages. After their conversations, participants are encouraged to email their responses and notes to the cultural planning team as outlined in the toolkit.
The final Creative City cultural plan will be completed by March 2025. To learn more, visit sdcreativecity.com.
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Making Bike Paths Better
Have you seen a little yellow electric cart driving around your neighborhood? It’s called a Gio, and the City is using it to improve the condition of Class I bike paths all over San Diego, including lake recreation areas like Lake Miramar, San Ysidro, Mission Beach, Seaport Village and Balboa Park.
Class 1 bike paths, also called multi-use paths, are paved paths physically separated from vehicle traffic and used exclusively by cyclists, pedestrians and other non-motorized micro-mobility forms of travel.
The Gio is assessing the condition of these paths to help the City prioritize maintenance and improvements.
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Significant Infrastructure Achievements in FY2
Following a record infrastructure investment in the “Getting it Done” Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, the City of San Diego is marking significant achievements of its Capital Improvements Program (CIP) during the past fiscal year.
During fiscal year 2023 (FY23), nearly 1,100 CIP projects – with an estimated program value of over $5.2 billion – moved through various stages of planning, design, construction and/or completion.
The City’s Engineering and Capital Projects Department manages between 80% and 90% of the City’s CIP projects. Among the department’s noteworthy achievements in FY23, construction contracts were awarded for 142 projects with a value of $792.6 million. These include:
Additionally, Engineering and Capital Projects completed asphalt overlay for nearly 52 miles of roads, a significant increase compared to 33 miles completed in fiscal year 2022.
“We’re proud of the great work our team has accomplished in FY23; they are delivering on these vital projects across our San Diego communities,” said Rania Amen, City Engineer and Director of the City’s Engineering and Capital Projects Department. “The City’s infrastructure program is a top priority for Mayor Gloria, and we will continue to build on this success to deliver even more projects in FY24 with integrity, transparency and a sense of urgency."
In this last year, the total amount of new funding dedicated to the City’s Capital Improvements Program was more than $1.1 billion, including nearly $50 million in federal and state grant funds. The largest CIP project is Pure Water San Diego, a multi-year program that will provide nearly half of San Diego’s water supply by the end of 2035.
To learn more about the CIP and search for construction projects in your neighborhood, visit sandiego.gov/cip.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 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
Register for the workshops and webinars here.
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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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Office of the Mayor
202 C St., 11th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101
619-236-6330
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