Every year we have a Community Forum in District 7 in which the
City Manager reviews aspects of his proposed budget. The Council
deliberates during the May and June City Council meetings and then
votes on a final budget by June 30. This year, however, it is of
paramount importance.
We are severely restricted in our options and next fiscal
year's budget will be painfully tight. City Manager Lamont Ewell
recently released a five-year financial plan for the City and I
applaud his forward thinking in mapping out the City's financial
future. We're facing huge uncertainties. Until the 2003 financial
audit and 2004 financial audit are completed, we don't have a
completely accurate accounting of the City's finances. Nor are we
able to bond which means we don't have funding for new major
projects. The City is currently negotiating new contracts with
employee unions and next month we will begin the budget
deliberation process. That means that the working draft budget
that the City Manager and his team have put together will be
presented to the City Council in meetings open to the public in
May and in June. Council will deliberate and pass a final budget
by the June 30 deadline.
I hope that you can make every effort to join me at this
important meeting on Wednesday, April 27 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m.
I want to know what residents of District 7 think about these
issues as we go into the budget deliberation process. The District
7 Community Forum will take place at Mission Trails Regional Park
Visitor Center located at One Father Junipero Serra Trail (off
Mission Gorge Road near Jackson Drive).
City Manager Lamont Ewell will review the proposed budget for
FY '06, which extends from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.
There will be plenty of time for questions about the budget and
other City issues. There has been so much in the news recently -
the pension deficit, federal investigations, contracts with labor
unions, talk of bankruptcy and the transition from a City Manager
form of government to a strong mayor/strong council form of
government. I am pleased to have this opportunity to talk with
you, to clarify issues and answer your questions. I also want to
give you an update on what is taking place in District 7 and what
is on the horizon.
Please consider this a personal invitation from me to you to
attend the District 7 Community Forum and please tell others about
our April 27 meeting. We want to make this as easy as possible for
you and will have refreshments generously donated by Sammy's
Woodfired Pizza and the California Restaurant Association. For
directions, you may want to check the Mission Trails Regional Park
web site at www.mtrp.org and for more information please call my
office at 619-236-6677 or send email to lwebb@sandiego.gov.
Environmentally Friendly
If you have been putting off the job of getting organized and
cleaning out your files because you hate to tackle this tough job
then here is an idea to help motivate you. The City of San Diego
will recycle your old tax files. No need to feel guilty about
hurting the environment with more trash when you take your old tax
files to be recycled at the Miramar Landfill.
The
fourth annual Tax File Recycling program runs now through this
Friday April 23. The Allan Company is providing secure containers
for participants to drop off files before they are shredded and
recycled at an offsite location at the end of the program. Did you
know that 25 percent of all the waste in Miramar Landfill is paper
that could have been recycled? You can help the environment by
participating in this program that is offered free of change to
San Diego City and County residents. For more information, click
here
http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/taxweek.shtml
Grantville Redevelopment
Plan Progressing
We pay our property taxes and amazingly find out that out of
every dollar we pay, only 17 cents stays in the City of San Diego.
No wonder there are problems. Even less ever makes it back into
our neighborhoods - especially where we need it. Grantville is a
classic example of tremendous need for infrastructure
improvements. Unless we do something to capture more of the tax
dollars already being paid in the area so they remain in the area,
Grantville will continue to look as it does now: terrible traffic,
regular flooding and ever-expanding blight.
The concept with Grantville Redevelopment is simple. Once
adopted, the Grantville redevelopment area will no longer just
receive whatever small portion of the 17 cents the City now gets,
but it will capture what is called the tax-increment on property
value increases - that is the difference between the 17 cents and
a much higher number - as high as 67 to 80 cents on the dollar
paid. Therefore, it is fairly simple: Grantville will receive more
property tax revenues without shortchanging the City and those new
revenues must be spent in Grantville on new improvements to
improve the economic viability of the area.
How about realigning the Mission Gorge Road and Interstate 8
interchange? A new extension of Alvarado Canyon Road to Mission
Gorge? How about restriping and widening Mission Gorge and
synchronizing the traffic lights to eliminate the gridlock of
today? What about the flooding of the businesses on Mission Gorge
Place? And how about a new recreation Center for Allied Gardens?
Or a new library? Or how about new public access to the San Diego
River Park where the rock quarry is today? Facade improvements to
help our retail business? All of this and more will happen with
the Grantville Redevelopment Plan.
A Public Hearing on the proposed Redevelopment Plan for the
Grantville Redevelopment Project will be held by the City Council
this Tuesday, April 19, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. (or as soon thereafter
as the matter can be heard), in the City Council Chambers, 202 "C"
Street, 12th Floor, San Diego, California 92101.
Simply put, the objective of the proposed Grantville
Redevelopment Plan is to provide the process and basic framework
for the redevelopment, rehabilitation and revitalization of the
Grantville Redevelopment Project Area in order to eliminate and
prevent physical and economic blight, encourage investment in the
economic development of the community, and promote physical,
social and economic well-being.
You can find more information on the City's website by clicking
this link:
http://www.sandiego.gov/redevelopment-agency/grantville.shtml
National Library Week
Last week we celebrated National Library Week and recognized
City of San Diego's librarians for making information accessible
to visitors who use our local libraries. With over 6 million
visitors last year, we encouraged all San Diegans to discover and
take advantage of our wonderful library resources and celebrate
the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers to
their schools, campuses and communities.
"Books, magazines, videos, CDs, databases, Internet access, you
name it!. The City of San Diego Public Library has something for
everyone," said City Library Director Anna Tatár.
There are lots of opportunities to help the San Diego Public
Library - including volunteering at your local library,
contributing funds, joining a Friends of the Library group,
participating in book sales and helping promote Library programs.
Visit the City's website and checkout what's going on at your
local library!
http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/
Family Justice Center
Does It Again
Congratulations to the Family Justice Center and its director,
Gael Strack, of the FJC for receiving the National League of
Cities' James C. Howland Award for Municipal Enrichment.
The FJC is the most comprehensive "one-stop shop" service
center in the nation for families who are experiencing domestic
violence. Prior to the Family Justice Center opening its doors on
October 10, 2002, families had to seek help on their own often
making numerous stops throughout the City to obtain these
services. At that time, San Diego's domestic violence homicide
rate was at an epidemic stage.
In 2003, the FJC received one of the nation's highest community
honors. Two days before its one-year anniversary, President Bush
unveiled his President's Family Justice Center Initiative to
create 12 Family Justice Centers around the country. San Diego
serves as the model. We are proud to lead the country forward in
stopping family violence in America. Click here
http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/ to visit their web site.
Community Updates from
the San Carlos, Del Cerro, Allied Gardens and Lake Murray area
Here is an update about issues in this part of the Council
District that I've mention in previous newsletters. Now that the
undergrounding is complete, there are new streetlights on Del
Cerro Boulevard. The lights, which line the median, are the new
high-pressure sodium lights.
The San Carlos Little League has been working with my office on
developing a new baseball field on Cowles Point, just south of the
current minor field. Tim Gercket, president of the Little League,
has been working diligently on this and our goal is to build the
field by the end of this year. The field would have the new
high-tech turf similar to that installed at Pershing Middle
School. Jeff Katz, a local architect, has again donated his
services to design the baseball field as he did with the comfort
station. The field is to be privately financed on the City owned
land and corporate and legacy donations are welcomed. For further
information, contact Tim Gercket at
http://sancarloslittleleague.com/.
You will see new vegetation on the north side of Navajo Road
between Cowles Mountain Boulevard and Boulder Lake Avenue as this
picture shows.
The Del Cerro Fire Station is beginning to take shape.
Despite some rain delays, the new home of Fire Engine Company 31
is moving along. If all goes according to plan, we'll complete the
project this fall.
New trees were planted in the Waring Road median in Allied
Gardens. The Aztec Landscaping, Inc. crew planted 13 new trees on
January 19 in the Waring Road median just north and south of
Greenbrier Avenue. Three types of trees were planted: Podacarpus,
Crepe Myrtle, and Liquidambar. I allocated funding through the
Navajo Communities Foundation.
Noise Complaints
From time to time, I receive calls from residents of
Tierrasanta and other communities in District 7 regarding noise
from aircrafts flying to and from MCAS Miramar. The base tracks
complaints and releases statistics about noise complaints. I want
to share with you some statistics as well as the noise complaint
phone number. They are as follows:
Total noise complaints by community during 2004:
Kearny Mesa-28
Clairemont- 29
Scripps Ranch- 41
Tierrasanta- 85
University City- 113
The noise complaint number is (858) 577-4277 or (858) 577-4279
or you may comment on the web at:
http://www.miramar.usmc.mil/miramar/aviation_noise.htm. For
other questions and concerns, you may call the Community Plans &
Liaison office at (858) 577-6603.
Helping Crawford High
I heartily congratulate the Will C. Crawford High School
Foundation for their support of the Crawford Education Complex.
They do a tremendous job in sponsoring class activities, school
renovation projects, community awareness activities and awarding
scholarships. The Foundation emphasizes encouraging students to
complete their education and improving the employability of
Crawford graduates.
Crawford High School is located in District 7 in the community of
El Cerrito. If you are interested in supporting education, our
students, our community and our future leaders then please
consider contributing to the Foundation. Donations can be sent to
Victor M. Perez, Vice President, Board of Directors, Will C.
Crawford High School Foundation, c/o Administration Office, 4191
Colts Way, San Diego, CA 92110. For more information, visit their
web site at:
http://www.crawfordhighschoolfoundation.com/
