Morning Report: Water Rates Going Up, Up, Up

San Diego City Councilmembers on Tuesday begrudgingly voted to hike the city’s water rates by nearly 30 percent over the next two years, despite the fact that the region has more water than it needs.

Councilmembers squirmed as they voted, with some, such as District 3 Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, asking city staff whether the increase really needed to be that high.

Public Utilities staff told Whitburn that, if Councilmembers opted for lower rates, the city would have to lay off a quarter of its 2,000 utilities employees who currently maintain water pipelines and treatment plants.

Whitburn stomached the vote but urged the Council to set a cap on future payments to the San Diego County Water Authority, from which the city buys most of its water. Recent rate increases by the Water Authority forced the city to raise its own rates.

Some Councilmembers went further. District 5 Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, who is also running for Congress, urged the city to stage a mini water rebellion. She repeated a message she delivered back in January urging the city to stop paying its Water Authority bills.

“They’re not going to turn off our tap,” Von Wilpert said. “We can go to litigation over this. We can’t continue to rubberstamp what they’re telling us.”

Von Wilpert and three other Councilmembers – Henry Foster, Kent Lee and Vivian Moreno – voted against the increase.

County Lays Out Plan for Behavioral Health Campus

The county was set to submit its latest application for state bond funds Tuesday in hopes of delivering a large-scale behavioral health campus in the Midway District.

The county is seeking $100 million in Proposition 1 grant funding to back the hoped-for facility that could supply 125 new beds and 51 outpatient and crisis treatment slots and serve an estimated 8,700 patients each year.

The campus would include long-term treatment beds, a short-term crisis unit to help patients bypass emergency rooms, a substance use treatment center that includes detox beds, voluntary respite facilities that come with peer support and an outpatient clinic.

Nadia Privara Brahms, the county’s acting behavioral health director, said the facility – which is expected to come at a total cost of $210 million – could be a game changer for the county’s mental health and addiction response.

“Collectively, we will strive to provide a seamless continuum of care that supports people experiencing a crisis through their journey to recovery and long-term stability.”

So what if the county doesn’t get a Proposition 1 grant? Here’s what County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer told the Union-Tribune, which got more details on the county’s plans: “You know, I would never say that something like this would be at the end of its possibilities because one door closed. But I would say, I could not tell you right now what plan B would be if we don’t get the grant.”

Chula Vista Looks to Join Cities Taking Stance on Immigration Enforcement

Chula Vista officials are laying the groundwork to make their city the first in South San Diego County to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

City staff are drafting a measure that would require federal agents to produce a warrant to enter non-public areas on city property, according to a summary of the proposal provided by City Councilmember Cesar Fernandez.

The measure also would prevent city officials, contractors or anyone who receives a city grant or leases city property from disclosing to federal authorities personal information regarding residents’ immigration status, gender identity, disability, health history or utilization of reproductive care services.

The measure closely resembles a similar measure recently adopted by the city of San Diego. Oceanside and Vista also recently adopted similar measures.

Fernandez said he directed city staff to draft the measure after numerous residents expressed confusion about whether the city was aiding federal enforcement efforts.

“People are asking me, ‘What is the city doing to protect us?’” Fernandez said.

Fernandez said he expects the City Council to vote on the measure before the end of the year.

City Says Repeated Contact Is Key to Reducing Freeway Encampments

On Tuesday morning, Mayor Todd Gloria joined state Sen. Catherine Blakespear to update the public on an agreement that allows San Diego city workers to clear areas near freeways of homeless encampments.

We wrote about that agreement last month, and how homeless people end up returning – hours after city workers clear the areas. 

“The idea is if you want to have a camping experience, there’s a safe camping site. We don’t want people camping in public spaces,” said Blakespear. “They aren’t being restrained from going anywhere, but they are being removed and told we’re not gonna allow this [encampments] to stay here.”

Mayor Gloria said in the last 90 days they “addressed” 184 encampments, removed 151 tons of debris, and connected 43 people to shelter. 

Franklin Coopersmith from the city’s Environmental Services said it’s a priority to reduce the number of people going back to Caltrans property, and connect them with services. 

“When you’re there every single week… each time you have another touch point is another opportunity they say, ‘yes,’” said Coopersmith. 

Coopersmith said when city staff repeatedly connect with people, they notice people are more willing to accept services and fewer go back to the encampments. He said his team – a combination of sanitation, neighborhood policing, and outreach workers –  is going out to encampments at least four times a week.

In Other News 

• San Diego County Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Terra Lawson-Remer plan to ask county staff next week to send a letter to the federal government urging federal officials to use contingency funds to prevent a lapse in food stamp benefits. The supervisors said roughly 400,000 county residents risk losing essential nutrition support if the ongoing federal government shutdown interrupts the benefits.
• The San Diego City Council on Monday voted to terminate grant deed restrictions at Polo Fields park that limit how, and how often, the scenic park can be used for large-scale events. Neighboring residents had complained that a youth sports organization that stages soccer tournaments at the park had violated the restrictions. But Councilmembers said the restrictions were vague and had forced the city to police unenforceable rules. (KPBS)
• Construction of a massive housing and retail development in Mission Valley has resumed after a Houston-based developer secured an additional $380 million in financing, the Union-Tribune reported. The Riverwalk development will feature 721 apartments and townhomes, a central plaza, 75,000 square feet of retail space and a new trolley stop along Friars Road west of Fashion Valley.

The Morning Report was written by MacKenzie Elmer, Lisa Halverstadt, Jim Hinch and Mariana Martínez Barba. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña and Scott Lewis. 

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