South County Report: Busy Week, As Always

Most of my newsletters focus on one big issue. Last week, I had the scoop on a package of Tijuana sewage crisis-related proposals crafted by newly elected San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre. 

Aguirre brought those proposals – which included a mix of studies, stepped up lobbying efforts and a plan to fix a sewage hot spot on the river – to the Board of Supervisors this week and won unanimous support from her colleagues. 

Meantime, as always, all kinds of other things were happening in South County. Most weeks, I run out of time – and column space – to report on all the political and community developments on my beat. 

This week, I want to highlight some of those smaller developments. Most work done by governments and community organizations goes unheralded and uncredited. Consider this newsletter a sample of what goes on all around you, every day, and you don’t even notice. 

State Lawmakers See Results 

California’s legislative session wraps up this week. South County’s two main representatives in Sacramento – Assemblymember David Alvarez and State Sen. Steve Padilla – are nearing victory on a few major proposals. 

Earlier this year, I reported on Alvarez’s efforts to lower costs for constituents even when that meant cold-shouldering Democrats’ longtime environmental allies. 

This week, one of Alvarez’s cost-cutting proposals, to increase the amount of ethanol blended into California gasoline, passed the legislature and is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom for final approval. 

Alvarez celebrated the milestone in a statement: “This bill will provide economic benefits to Californians who are struggling with high fuel prices,” he said. 

Also on its way to the governor’s desk is an Alvarez-authored bill that would expand recruitment of bilingual teachers from Mexico. Newsom already signed another Alvarez proposal to add lawmakers from border districts to a statewide California-Mexico Border Relations Council, which coordinates state policies that affect relations with Mexico. 

In the state Senate, Padilla this week celebrated the advance of two bills he authored. One would create a California Latino Commission tasked with measuring the economic and social wellbeing of California’s Latinos and recommending policies. The bill passed the legislature and is on its way to Newsom for his signature. 

Also advancing this week was a bill Padilla authored to regulate AI chatbots. The bill, given fresh urgency by the recent suicide of a California teenager who was allegedly urged to kill himself by a chatbot, would prevent chatbots from exposing minors to sexual content, set guardrails around suicide-related chatbot conversations and give families the right to sue AI companies that violate the rules. 

The bill passed the Assembly with bipartisan support and now awaits a final vote in the Senate. 

“Big Tech has proven time and again, they cannot be trusted to police themselves,” Padilla said in a statement. “Safety must be at the heart of all of developments around this rapidly changing technology.” 

New Animal Services in Imperial Beach 

In one of the first Imperial Beach City Council meetings led by newly appointed Mayor Mitch McKay, the Council on Sept. 3 voted unanimously to sign a five-year contract with the San Diego Humane Society for animal control and welfare services. 

The city previously contracted with the city of Chula Vista for animal services. That contract expires this year. 

Though critics, including the county grand jury, have alleged recently that the Humane Society is failing to meet animal welfare benchmarks despite recent increases in revenue and executive salaries, City Manager Tyler Foltz told councilmembers in a staff report that the Society “has a proven record providing excellent services to Imperial Beach and surrounding communities.” 

McKay said the city’s roughly $400,000-per-year contract with the Humane Society “provides stability, ensures high-quality care for animals, and supports the safety and well-being of our community.” 

Also in Imperial Beach: The Council on Aug. 20 voted unanimously to conduct an application and interview process to fill the District 3 councilmember vacancy created when councilmembers appointed McKay as mayor earlier that month. Councilmembers are expected to interview applicants and appoint a new councilmember later this month. 

Heads Up, Chula Vista E-Bike Riders 

Starting next week, Chula Vista officials will host three community information sessions intended to educate residents about the city’s recently adopted e-bike ordinance. 

The ordinance, which I wrote about in detail earlier this year, tightens regulations on youth riders, limits where e-bikers can ride and sets penalties for violators. 

The information sessions take place 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 16 and 22 at the Montevalle Recreation Center. An online information session takes place 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 8. More information here. 

New Student Union to Open 

Officials at Southwestern College next week will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially unveiling the college’s new $101 million student union building. 

The 100,700-square-foot facility, paid for with funds from a $400 million bond measure approved by voters in 2016, includes new lounge, study and meeting spaces, a cafeteria with terrace seating, kitchen and dining facilities to be used by the college’s Culinary Arts program, a veterans resource center and various student support services. 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at noon on Sept. 18.  

Healing Arts 

This month, the Bonita Museum presents a particularly affecting exhibit: “Healing Through Art: A Look Beyond Childhood Cancer.” 

The exhibit features works by local artists reflecting on how cancer affects children, including what the museum describes as “a magnificent forest of 15,000 [origami] cranes” made by volunteers at a non-profit cancer research advocacy organization in commemoration of the 15,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States. 

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