City Council - Regular Meeting

Recording in progress

Good evening. Welcome to the City Council meeting for May 26. Madam Clerk, will you please call roll?

Councilmember Dillard?

Here.

Council Member Lothian. Here. Council Member Suzuki. Present. Vice Mayor Cazares. Here. Mayor Rapastathis.

Here. We begin every meeting with an invocation and flag salute, and tonight the flag salute invocation will be led by Council Member Suzuki.

Thank you.

Good afternoon. If you would please bear with me, I'd like to do a traditional invocation today. Let us pray. Gracious God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Ishmael, the God who calls us in every tradition to love our neighbors as ourselves, we come before you tonight with heavy hearts. Last Monday, in our own region, three men were murdered at the Islamic Center of San Diego in an act of pure hatred. Amin Abdullah, a 51-year-old security guard, Nadir Awad, a 57-year-old teacher, and Mansur Kaziha, a 78-year-old caretaker who had served his community since the mosque was built in the 1980s. These men distracted and delayed two gunmen and in doing so saved the lives of the many children and staff who were inside that mosque. They did not hesitate. They ran toward danger so that others might live. They were heroes and we honor them tonight by name. Lord, we ask you to hold their families in your mercy. We ask you to comfort the children who are inside those classrooms and we ask you to heal a community and a country that is hurting. and we ask you to search our own hearts. As we approach the 250th birthday of this nation, this grand American experiment in pluralism and freedom, let us be honest with ourselves. There is no room in that celebration and no room in this city for the poison of religious hatred, not against Muslims, not against Jews, not against Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, or any people of faith or conscience. We are not a nation of one tribe. We are a nation of many, bound together by the audacious belief that all of us are made in the image of something greater than ourselves. May the memory of Amin, Nadir, and Mansoor call us to be worthy of that belief. May we govern tonight and every night in a spirit of peace, of justice, and of human dignity. Amen.

Let's begin.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. City manager comments?

I have none.

Community Bulletin Reports. Join us at the 27th annual Flag Day Parade on Saturday, June 23rd. I'm sorry, June 13th. Pardon me. June 13th, starting at 10 a.m. La Mesa Boulevard this year will be an honor of America's 250th anniversary. Part of America's 250th anniversary celebration, we're hosting a free screening of Captain America during summer's first movie in the park. It'll be shown at Harry Griffin Park Amphitheater Friday, June 12th. Activities start at 5 p.m. and the movie starts at sunset. There'll be free popcorn to the first 500 attendees. We'll be hosting a paper shredding event at City Hall this Saturday at May 30th from 9 AM to 12 PM. You can also drop off clothing donations, your electric waste, and grab some free compost. Looking for a way to challenge yourself, build confidence, and make a real impact, the La Mesa Police Department Youth Leadership Camp is back. It offers students the chance to build leadership skills, take part in team challenges, participate in community service activities, and much more. Incoming high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to apply. Spots are limited, so submit your application by Friday, May 29th to be considered. There'll be a no... There'll be no Orange Line trolley service between Euclid Avenue Transit Center and Lemon Grove Depot starting Saturday, May 30th through Sunday, May 31st. Disclosure is part to MTS's ongoing improvement to the Orange Line. Bus shuttle service will provide the service to all impacted stations. If you'd like more information, visit mtstmtms.com. Sandag and Caltrans are working on a plan for State Route 94 focused on improving transportation, enhancing safety, increasing access, and reducing vehicle miles traveled. Your feedback is important. Take the survey by this Sunday, May 31st. Learn to fix your items for free with the San Diego Fix-It Clinic. Bring in one item, anything from kitchen appliances, clothing, or toys. This event is Saturday, June 6th, starting at 10 a.m. at the La Mesa Library. Join us for the 17th annual La Mesa Firefighters Pancake Breakfast and Emergency Preparedness event on Sunday, June 7th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Fire Station 11. Just for $5, enjoy pancakes, egg sausage, orange juice, coffee, while learning more about emergency preparedness. And last, I just want to say thank you to Public Works. I put in a request months ago for a stop sign to make a... Lemon and 3rd, a four-way stop, just like La Mesa Boulevard and 3rd is. And they were able to complete that and had lots of positive feedback. So that's public works. So thank you, public works. Vice Mayor Casares?

Thank you. First, the primary election is happening on Tuesday. If you haven't voted yet, please be sure to vote. You can still mail it in at this point. I would recommend bringing it to a vote center or a Dropbox. You can learn more at vote.org. Second, Given the tragedy that happened last week, thank you very much, Councilwoman, for speaking on that. And we're in Peace Officer Memorial Month. We had Memorial Day yesterday. I've been thinking a lot about grief and how we all grieve differently, and also about the 13 United States service members that we have already lost in the ongoing war in the Middle East. all of us, especially in the San Diego community, are impacted by those losses, given the strong military presence that we have here. Many of us know folks who have served, have folks that have served in our families or have served ourselves. And so thinking of all of that and the immense grief that we all carry with us from different things every day. I just wanted to very quickly share some crisis resources. The San Diego Access Crisis Line is available 24 7 at 1 8 8 8 7 2 4. seven two four zero you can also text that crisis line you can text home h-o-m-e to seven four one seven four one there is also the national crisis line that you can call or text 24 7 at 988. thank you thank you council member suzuki

Thank you. Speaking of grief, I'd like to extend my condolences to Vice Mayor Cazares. She just lost her family pet, and so I know that that is something that is huge right now. The classic car show is coming up. I think it's on June 4th or June, I'm sorry, June 4th. Yes, June 4th. And so I'm excited about that because I love to see them. And down our boulevard, it's part of what makes La Mesa so cool and special, having that, you know, that recognition of the past. So please, I hope to see you. And I'm also enjoying the farmer's market going half an hour later. So thank you.

Thank you. Council Member Lothian?

Nothing.

Council Member Dillard?

Yeah, just quickly, because our families had a milestone in the family, I thought I'd share just briefly. Our youngest daughter just went across stage on Friday up in Seattle for the University of Washington with her MD. So we're excited about that and I just wanted to share it's a big momentous occasion because she's already a PhD. So she was the only child that went across stage with an MD PhD in the entire medical school student body.

Yeah. Thank you.

Congratulations. Additions and or deletions by staff or council? None from staff. Moving on to presentations, we're going to start with the School Safety Patrol Award. So I'll invite the chief to come on up.

So actually, thank you for being here. We're excited to walk away each year. We have DJ Walken, who's the resource officer, to read the names. And if you can come up, raise your hand, and we can go around the diet.

has elevated the field.

that we have mileage problems.

Yeah.

Since it's still a school night, we're going to excuse all the safety patrol students and their families and any, wait, I'm sorry, real quick. I'm sorry to do this. Are there any teachers and or administrators here? Sorry.

Sorry to make you do this.

Sorry. Thank you for indulging me. We're gonna allow them to all go.

Bye, Mrs. Ferguson.

Let Ms. Rowe get the doors. Thank you. Just real quick while they're doing that, usually I just say really quickly, we appreciate La Mesa Police for continuing helping every school staff and train their safety patrol. Actually, it's the faculty advisor at each school that volunteers. It is a volunteer job, and it's every morning and every afternoon. I was the advisor at Murdoch, Lemon Avenue, Mesa arts Academy and Rolando. And it's, it's a lot, but it's a very important thing. It teaches them responsibility. It also does help with traffic control and teaches them the safety because when you're out on safety patrol, it was a safety patrol captain at lemon Avenue. And then I was, charge of safety patrol as a teacher, but we appreciate the police working with the, the, the teachers and the schools. So that program has not gone away. So we appreciate that. So thank you chief and everybody on your staff that helps. So, okay, moving forward. Our next proclamation is Juneteenth, June 19th is Juneteenth. And we're going to have council member Gillard read this.

Thank you, mayor. Whereas, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and declared that all persons held as slaves within rebellious states are and henceforth shall be free, paving the way for the passing of the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States of America. Juneteenth is a nationally recognized holiday and an opportunity to celebrate human freedom, honoring the legacy of the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, and rededicating ourselves to rooting out systemic racism that continues to plague our society as we strive to deliver the full promise of freedom and equality for all Americans, whereas Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Emancipation Celebration, and Freedom Day is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States and has been celebrated by the African-American community for over 150 years. Whereas Miss Opal Lee, revered as the grandmother of Juneteenth, championed the cause with unwavering perseverance and selfless sacrifice leading the historic effort to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday. Whereas Juneteenth symbolizes freedom, celebrating the abolishment of slavery, reminding all Americans of the significant contributions of African Americans to our society, and whereas Juneteenth is a day reminding us of our incredible capacity to heal, hope, and emerge from our darkest moments with purpose to resolve. Now, therefore, I, Mark Rapathasis, 23rd mayor of the city of La Mesa, and the entire city council do hereby proclaim the 19th day of June, 2026 as Juneteenth National Independence Day. And I'm sorry, I said your name wrong, but I'm tired, but it's- It's okay. I'm used to saying Dr. Arapaspasis, but anyway.

That's even better, nice job, thank you. That's it, that's it. Well done, thank you for reading that. Thank you. The next proclamation is proclaiming June 2026 as LGBTQ plus Pride Month and Vice Mayor Casares will read this.

Thank you. I'm going to read it, but before I begin, I want to congratulate openly LGBTQ police captain Katie Lynch. She was honored just last week at the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast for her leadership with a very big honor, the Phil Collin Leadership Award. So I want to congratulate her first. Now I'll read the proclamation. Whereas Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Diverse Identities and Orientations Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June. Whereas Pride Month honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was a tipping point for the gay liberation movement in the United States. The first Pride March in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. June 2026 marks the 57th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and annual LGBTQ plus pride traditions. Pride month is a time to recognize and celebrate the impact of LGBTQ plus individuals locally, nationally, and internationally, and the freedom to be themselves. The fight for dignity and equality for LGBTQ plus people are reflected in the tireless dedication of advocates and allies who strive to make this a more inclusive society. The city of La Mesa is committed to fostering an inclusive community that welcomes and empowers all. The city of La Mesa is strengthened by and thrives upon the rich diversity of racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, and sexual identities of all its residents, all of which contribute to the vibrant character of our city. Now, therefore, Mayor Marco Rapastathis, the 23rd mayor of the city of La Mesa and the entire city council do hereby proclaim June 2026 as LGBTQ plus Pride Month in the city of La Mesa and encourage all residents to eliminate prejudice wherever it exists to celebrate our great diversity by celebrating our LGBTQ plus families, friends and neighbors. I want, sorry, I was just gonna say one more thing. Go ahead. As the first and only openly LGBTQ council member, I want to thank every single member of our council and our leadership here at the city for being incredible allies, not only to me, but to everyone in our city. So thank you all.

Thank you very much. Next proclamation is proclaiming May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Month, and this proclamation will be read by Councilmember Suzuki.

Whereas since the first arrival of Jewish immigrants to America's shores in the 16th century, Jewish Americans have played a central role in the creation, growth, freedom, prosperity, and strength of the United States of America. Whereas the biblical and contemporary history of the Jewish people together with the enduring values of the Jewish faith, have served as vital sources of inspiration for the founding of the United States, the Civil Rights Movement, America's global leadership in the cause of freedom, our nation's commitment to social justice, and many of our country's most fundamental principles. whereas Jewish citizens settled in San Diego County as early as 1850 contributed significantly to the development of local industry and real estate and served honorably in the armed forces of the United States and the California National Guard, leading to influential roles in civic leadership and community partnerships, whereas Jewish Americans have made profound contributions to the arts, entertainment, science, and technology, government, business, culinary traditions, and countless other fields helping to shape and enrich American culture and society. And whereas for more than four decades, every president of the United States has recognized and celebrated the contributions of the Jewish community to the history, heritage, and culture of the United States. And since May 2006, the month of May has been officially designated as Jewish American Heritage Month pursuant to a bipartisan resolution of Congress. Now, therefore, Marco Rapastathis, 23rd Mayor of the City of La Mesa and the entire City Council do hereby proclaim the month of May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Month in the City of La Mesa and call upon all residents to commemorate this occasion by celebrating the enduring contributions of Jewish Americans to our nation and communities.

Thank you, Council. Next are public comments. Our first speaker is Barbie Wheeler, followed by Dawn Marie Toll. Welcome.

Good evening. Mayor, Council of La Mesa City, thank you for the time to address you with our concerns. I am again here about the issues on Bellflower Freeway. Freeway, you ask? Well, as stated in an email that you all received on May 5th from one of our neighbors, the two group facilities you have allowed to exist on our small street has turned it into a freeway, with cars speeding up and down our street at all hours of the day and night, with eight to 10 cars between the two group facilities parking up and down the street. that makes it very unsafe for all of us residents to live there. The new group home seems to have the same population as the Evans home, both causing issues as stated speeding vehicles, teenagers having breakdowns in the middle of the street, and now there are portable restrooms on site. Why? Are there qualified personnel on premises? I do not plan to spend the rest of my life on a freeway. Have any of you gone to investigate any of the people who are running these facilities? Are they qualified? How can the city give Richard Evans any kind of permit or license to operate any type of business after all the problems he's caused with all the many, many police calls that have been made? Mr. Humara, if I didn't say your name right, I'm sorry, responded to an email sent by one of our residents and told us to contact Assemblymember Sharp Collins and or Senator Weber person. I have tried several times to contact them, even saying I would like a meeting with them. I never get a response from them. They don't want to talk about a problem, but I am sure they will when the media is involved. Who's in charge? We, the residents, are going to go to the media if we don't see changes in the near future. These types of facilities do not belong on a small residential street. You and the city need to get your head out of the sand and make changes to your policies on handing out permits and licenses. Also, think about changing your saying La Mesa is a safe place to live. It's not safe. 30 seconds. When you allow these types of facilities to exist. Media, here we come.

Thank you. Um, Don Marie toll followed by, um, on rails. Welcome.

Thank you. Hi everyone. Um, thank you for the proclamations. Those are beautiful. Um, I'm here today to talk about the trolley crossings. Um, a couple of meetings ago I was talking with Laura Lothian and she said she often uses things like Instagram to capture people's interest. And you have concern. And well, you have. So you expressed concern about a proposal to elevate the trolley through the La Mesa village. And you cited 5% of La Mesa uses the trolley. And 95% does not. But the purpose of the trolley is not to haul us back and forth between Spring Street and Amaya. The trolley is there to bring people through La Mesa, from other communities, to bring people in, including to events that you hype for the village, that bring in money. It brings people into things like Oktoberfest where they can then leave after having a drink and go home safely. This is important. It connects people to places other than the village because in spite of all we hear about the village, La Mesa is beyond the village. This is a large city. Your other concern was homeless encampments. We have people who are unhoused in this community and they find places like elevated areas because they're looking for shelter. We don't solve the homeless problem by telling people they're unwelcome. We do that by addressing housing. And to use your logic, we would also get rid of the overpasses. Are you going to ask to get rid of the overpasses for the freeways? I mean, you can roll your eyes at me, but I mean, I'm following your logic. I know, I know. So I would ask that rather than arguing against things that might create encampments, that you look at other options to help our homeless neighbors. And I wanna point out, change happens. You live in the village, you talk about it. At one point, your house did not exist, and there was someone who was probably worried about the expansion into where you live, because then there were more houses. There are more people in this community. We need public transit to support those people. It helps get people to jobs, events, it avoids impaired driving. But most importantly, what really concerns me about the idea of not looking at- 15 seconds. sorry, is we need first responders to be able to get from the west side to the east side. If I'm on the other side of that road, I want our first responders to be able to get to people in a timely manner. So I'm really hoping everyone on the council will give that due consideration.

Thank you.

Oh, and I like graffiti art.

Von Rios, followed by Brother Steve.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Before I start, I would like to, as a former captain of Safety Patrol and president of ASB, that was a special event you guys did. That was great honoring the Safety Patrol. um good evening my name is von rios thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight i'd first like to express my appreciation for the city's response to my visit to city hall this past february as well as councilwoman lothian's statement identifying the wait park drive project as a priority Last month, I attended a Parks and Recreation meeting after hearing an update on Wape Drive Park would be discussed. Unfortunately, I did not see Councilwoman Lothian, other board members, or Parks and Recreation Director Misty Thompson present at that meeting. What concerned me most was that discussion centered around potentially eliminating an ADA entrance off Murray Hill Road rather than discussing where the necessary funding for the park itself could be secured. That made it difficult to feel confident this park is receiving the urgency and dedication it deserves. Meanwhile, neighboring cities are successfully delivering major park projects for their communities. Harbor Park in Chula Vista and Fenwell Street Park in Pacific Beach are examples of what can happen when city leadership actively pursues funding, partnerships, and public engagement. Parks are not an optional amenity. They are essential public resources. They support children's physical health, creativity, and social development, while also providing safe spaces for families and pet owners to enjoy outdoor activity together. I would also like to point to MacArthur Park as an example. For years, residents faced challenges simply trying to bring their dogs there. While a dog park was eventually added, many feel it falls short of the community's needs. In contrast, parks like Grape Street Park near Balboa show what a thoughtfully designed and community space can look like. I hope the future Wade Drive Park, especially its dog-friendly areas, reflect that same level of care and planning. In the area surrounding the proposed Wade Drive Park, there is currently a lack of space and accessible outdoor space for children and pets. With more families putting down roots in this part of La Mesa, including myself, the need for this park is immediate and long overdue. It has also been stated that from 2012 to 22, the vacant property was used intermittently by city contractors and partner agencies for construction related purposes. If revenue was generated for that use, residents deserve to know where that money was dedicated towards. We have seen park projects like Collier Park move forward through outside partnerships and private support. The City of San Diego even partnered with companies like Zoom Recreation to help bring park projects to life. I strongly encourage the City of La Mesa to pursue similar opportunities for Waite Drive Park. A resident like myself can advocate and approach businesses for support, but those efforts can be carried far more by city officials. I urge the city council to prioritize not just discussion, but execution. Our community, and especially our children, deserve a safe and welcoming place to gather, grow, and yes, be together. Thank you. Thank you, Brother Steve.

Welcome. Thank you.

Steven Gerard Sudlowski, a Third Order Franciscan. I'd just like to open with compassion. There is no place of violence anywhere at any worship center throughout the United States. I'm a former Navy guy, so I understand that. And I also am a pro-life speaker, so I also say there is no place for violence. even in the mother's womb, because we're now in the Mother's Day to Father's Day timeframe now. So congratulations, moms and dads, here too. Beloved Mayor, is it Mark, Vice Mayor Loren, Councilmember Patricia Loren, Laura and Genevieve, I provided all of you again something you might have received in the past, this wonderful Bible book, Mark, You might want to pay close attention to the back of it because I think our society does need a little bit of healing. And a book written by Reverend Robert Spitzer, the former president of Gonzaga University, has written the book Healing the Culture. And boy, we need some healing in America today, don't we? We need some compassionate hearts out there being very effective because love always wins. We know that love ultimately wins. I've also provided you that San Diego has completed another successful Walk for Life. I wanted to attend that, but I couldn't be both at that Walk for Life and the Los Angeles Walk for Life, and I did make the Los Angeles Walk for Life. And I can tell you that I also made the California March for Life in March in Sacramento, and I can attest there were over 4,000 citizens participating in the March for Life for fatherhood, motherhood, childhood, and preborn personhood. The other sheet I provided for you, it's been updated a little bit, but beloved Mayor and Council, some of you have already seen this in the past. It's a resolution in support of a La Mesa, California declaration of a safe pre-born personhood city. This is something we can do now because the US Supreme Court Dobbs decision has superseded the Roe decision. So I'm hoping that you'll consider putting this on the agenda between, well, it's past Mother's Day, but between Father's Day and Christmas now. And I certainly miss your Flag Day Parade because I have participated in it in the past. I do a little singing from time to time. So remember, the joy of the Spirit of God. love for his creation I like to get a little tune out there this often the hearts god bless you all with love and wisdom citizens I hope you'll even join me I am doing an advisory petition amplifying on fatherhood and motherhood childhood and pre-born personhood god bless you all thank you next on the agenda are conflicts disclosures by anyone

Public comment on consent calendar. We have one speaker on item 9.2, Rick M. Welcome.

Hello, thank you for taking the time to listen to me. I've got concerns with approving this contract immediately as it is, just because of some of the things that I've noticed about the community oversight board for the police. And I think some of the stuff that is happening with it is coming from this auditor. I don't find this auditor to be somebody who should just be passed through for a number of various reasons. For instance, in exhibit A in the contract, the scope of work I don't believe is being fulfilled and has not been fulfilled in the past. There were also some questions about this very same auditor that were raised from Fresno, where this auditor used to work, I think about 10 years ago, from the community there about his effectiveness. One example that I note was from the February 18th meeting of the Community Police Oversight Board where one of the board members expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of one of the reports saying that some of the information was unclear in regards to an incident with the traffic stop and the towing of a vehicle. This is relevant, I think, because the municipal code set up for this position here for the CPOB states that this is 2.30.010 subsection C, informing community of its rights and responsibilities when coming into contact with police officers. This has not been fulfilled with this interaction. And I find that the reports that I was able to access online had very little information pertaining to this as well. And in general, that I think would aid the CPOB a lot more if there was a more competent auditor appointed. Also, the expense is quite great for this position, for what is admitted in the same meeting by the auditor himself as a very light workload. For these reasons, I really don't think that you should approve this today and you should look into it maybe a little bit more. you know, you have until the 30th to renew this contract, June 30th, that is. And I think maybe you should take a little bit more of a look in there. I mean, there are some other things that don't speak directly to, you know, evidence of what I think is incompetence in this matter. But, you know, like having a basketball game on in the background while he's on a Zoom meeting with the CPOB. You can see in the reflection of one of his framed photos in the back. It's not, like I said, that could be fine. Some people need that. But I think there are some other concerns with this UPOB, but this one should be addressed here at this meeting because this is on the agenda. And thank you. That'll conclude my time. Thank you. Yes.

I would, if we're moving on to the consent, I'd like to pull item 9.2 and move it to the next meeting because I, if that's possible, I would like to do a little bit more due diligence. As someone who served on the Police Oversight Board, I personally had a great experience with this auditor, but I do think, given the speaker that we just had, we should pull it and move it to the next meeting.

I'm just going to ask a question of the city manager to see if it's time sensitive. Absolutely. Councilmember Dillard?

I want to ditto Lauren's sentiments. This is the first time that I've heard of it. I served on the task force that started the CPOB, and I also worked as a board member on the CPOB. And I had not experienced any difficulty. However, I appreciate your comments. And I do feel that we do need to look into this and make sure that if there are some discrepancies or incomplete work, that we definitely look into it and also communicate with at least the chair and the chief. OK. Thank you.

We don't need a vote on that. Do we need to move? OK. Would anyone like to pull item number 9193 to 999? Any items? OK. Someone move the calendar?

I'll motion to approve the calendar 9.193 through 999. Second.

Motion carries with all council members voting yes.

Item 10, pardon me, item 10.1, pardon me, is a hearing consideration resolution approving fiscal 2027 community block grants. Hi, Ms. Pena, welcome.

Hello. Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Myra Pina. I am the Senior Management Analyst for Community Development. I am here to present on item 10.1. Tonight is the second public hearing of two for the CDBG program. The first public hearing was held on April 28th, 2026. As an entitlement jurisdiction under the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, the city qualifies to receive community development block grant, or CDBG funds, in proportion to its population size, socioeconomic status, and demographic factors. CDBG funding supports neighborhood revitalization, community facilities and services, economic development, and activities within low to moderate income communities identified as CDBG eligible areas. The map on the right shows CDBG eligible areas within the city of La Mesa. In order to receive CDBG funds, the city is required to submit a consolidated plan every five years that outlines the city's housing and community development needs. The city council approved the current consolidated plan on July 8, 2025. The adopted consolidated plan identifies the following goals. Goal one. Improve public facilities and infrastructure to promote a healthy and vibrant city environment. Goal two, promote equitable access to affordable housing through the preservation of existing units, assistance to homeowners, and fair housing services. Goal three, create programs to prevent and address homelessness and provide access to services. And goal four, provide local community services to support low and moderate income households. On April 3, 2026, HUD announced that the city would receive $464,440 in CDBG funds for fiscal year 2027. This slide provides an overview of staff funding recommendations based on HUD's allocation and the goals identified in the city's consolidated plan. 381,000 is proposed to improve facilities and infrastructure on Tower Street Mobility Access Improvement Project, which is located between 70th and 68th Street. This area is identified on the sidewalk master plan as a street where sidewalk does not currently exist. The city expects to complete the design by June, 2026 and construction by June, 2027. Staff also proposes programming additional CDBG funds to the sidewalk improvement project in areas where the city sidewalk master plan identified that pedestrian connectivity needs improvement. The locations for this work include Maple Avenue, Jesse Avenue, 73rd, Jackson Drive, Garfield and Hoffman. Additionally, can you go back to the other slide? Thank you. Additionally, staff proposes 30,000 to CSA San Diego, a public service program that provides for housing and tenant landlord services to residents of La Mesa, 50,000 for administrative activities, such as environmental reviews, monitoring, reporting, and outreach. $6,440 for housing-specific administrative costs, including oversight of the prior home rehabilitation loan program and down payment and closing cost assistance program. Next slide, please. As part of this year's action, staff is proposing an amendment to fiscal year 2025 CDBG annual action plan to reprogram $150,000 previously allocated to Nancy Drive Street Improvements activity. Staff has determined that the Nancy Drive Street Improvements project is currently not feasible due to factors that prevent it from being carried out within the program year. The gas lines servicing each resident are very shallow and must be lowered by SDG&E before the street can be reconstructed. The necessary gas line work is several years out per the current SDG&E workload. However, staff will continue to pursue other funding options for support for Nancy Drive. Staff proposes reallocating these funds towards fiscal year 2025 sidewalk improvement project. Next slide, please. All right. So today, staff recommends approval of the resolution approving CDBG fiscal year 2027 annual action plan and resolution approving the substantial amendment for CDBG fiscal year 2025. Thank you.

Any questions? Yes, Council Member Suzuki.

Oh, no, I'm sorry.

Oh, I'm sorry. Good job. Thank you.

Thank you.

Those questions, I'll make a motion to close the hearing.

Motion carries with all council members voting yes.

I'll make a motion to adopt resolution 10-1-A-B-C. Thank you.

Motion carries with all council members voting yes.

Thank you. Item 11-1 is council initiated by Vice Mayor Casares and Council Member Lothian. I'll hand it to them.

Thank you Mr. Mayor. So downtown La Mesa is actually having a good problem. It's become so popular and so crowded that in our infrastructure our parking infrastructure hasn't kept up and so what we're finding on like today I had a news interview and it was Tuesday at 11 and there was no parking and and there's no event going on at Tuesday at 11. So Thursday nights, Friday nights, Saturday nights, Sunday nights, very crowded, no parking spaces, farmer's market, car show, it's just packed. So right now a parking structure is just not in the cards. It would cost too many millions of dollars. I think it might be down the road. So Vice Mayor Cazares, ONE OF OUR PARKING COMMISSIONERS WHO WANTS TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS AND I AND OUR GOLF CAR CRUISED EVERY STREET IN THE WHOLE DOWNTOWN AREA LOOKING FOR HIDDEN PARKING SPACES AND WE FOUND A BUNCH THAT WERE HIDING WE THINK IN PLAIN SIGHT. SO TONIGHT I'M GOING TO MAKE FIVE SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT THE CITY CAN DO ALMOST AT NO COST VERY LOW COST on how we can bring anywhere from 20 to 50 to 60, maybe even 100 parking spaces with our current infrastructure. So the first one, I'm going to start with the easy ones. So we have a business called Coin House and it's on Allison and in front of it is a red curb and you can't park on a red curb and it's about 90 feet long. Per California laws, and this is everything I've been doing through Google and AI and all that, you only need 15 feet of red curb. So that's 75 feet of red curb that could be parking spaces. And you could fit probably four vehicles in that space. So turning that red curb into regular gray curb. The second thing, there is a building at 4719 Palm Avenue. It has had a white passenger loading and unloading zone forever, for decades. There is no passenger loading and unloading. It's not a school. It's not a church. It's not an airport. It's just a business. It's an office with a parking lot. So it's unnecessary to have that as a passenger loading and unloading zone. That would give us two to three parking spots. The third thing, and this is when it starts to get a little different, and I think it'd be something that could put us like above other cities in San Diego. So we have a lot of spaces in our parking lots and also on La Mesa Boulevard. that are too small for cars, but they're big enough for a golf cart. And so these street legal golf carts have become a really big, growing, popular transportation trend. So you've been seeing them all over Coronado, PB, La Jolla, Del Mar, everywhere. But you're also seeing them now all over La Mesa. I was at Highwood Park playing pickball, and there's three golf carts, not including mine. And so it was like, okay, it's becoming a really popular thing. So when those golf carts come in downtown, they're taking up car spots. So what if those golf carts took up other spots that are otherwise wasted? So currently on La Mesa Boulevard are these metal bike rack rings and they're taking up these triangular spaces. We also have sidewalks with large bump outs that also have these bike racks. So if we took this bike racks off the street, put them on the edge of sidewalks where there was no disruption to the flow of pedestrians, we would be opening up these triangular spots. Now, what I think would be really cool is if we ended up doing not just, you know, people are going to see it and not know what it is. So for instructional reasons and and also for like, again, something civically interesting, if we did a golf cart stencil and motorcycle stencil because these are spots would be good for motorcycles if we did that it would be people would know what it was for but again it would it sets us apart would be the first city in san diego county that has designated golf cart parking and that's just the kind of thing that makes people talk so i think that would be a really Very cool thing. The fourth thing is we have something called parking tees. We've already implemented them on Palm Avenue, La Mesa Boulevard, Hercules, Hearts of Lemon. They're very effective at making people park courteously and efficiently because it's very common for someone to pull up to a spot, not really paying attention where they are, and they inadvertently take up two spots with their one car. or two cars will take up three spots, and then it becomes a domino effect. And then when you look at the entire block, you recognize that two spots or three spots have been wasted. So if every street in the downtown area had the parking tees, just little white painted parking tees, that efficiency would add one to two cars per block and again when we have the the new restaurants coming in the new ice cream coming in the new apartments coming in with deficient parking we're going to need every single parking space we can get and then last but not least in the allison parking lot is a triangular dirt median currently there's a dumpster at its edge and it does have five trees it's it's not a park it's not a playground it's not a green space it's just again it's a median but it does have five trees i'm making the suggestion that we turn that median into parking spaces, customer parking spaces. Out of all the suggestions I've made on Instagram and online, that's the only one that's gotten resistance because people love trees. I love trees. And so people are like, don't cut down the trees. So I just want the public to know the city of La Mesa maintains 10,037 trees. 6,700 of those trees are on our streets. We respect trees. We are a Tree City USA since 1980. If staff says, yeah, you can remove those trees and we'll put five trees elsewhere, I hope the city and the community understands the trade-off. So I know our businesses are very nervous about losing customer parking. No customer parking, no customers, and our businesses are going to hurt. So I want to emphasize to city staff that we are, per our city manager, a culture of yes. I want our staff to be innovative and have the spirit to, you know what, let's do something a little bit creative and a little bit different and not go to this automatic can't be done, no, it's not going to work. I really want this to be done with positivity and optimism and come back to the city council and accept all of it, some of it, none of it, whatever it is. But I think, again, common sense, innovative, little to no cost. We can add innovation. between the parking tees and the golf cart things and the median, I mean, 15, the red stripes, the white stripes, 15, 20, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100 spots. We're only dealing currently with the east side of Spring Street. We're going to come back at a later date with the west side of Spring Street. But I just wanted to take, you know, one chunk at a time. And that's my presentation.

Thank you. I so Councilmember Lothian approached me with this idea and on our parking commissioner to come and take a look and see where we could find parking. I want to first say I did see some comments that were specifically talking about how, you know, we don't want to be a car city. You know, we want it to be safe for pedestrians and whatnot. That is not what we're trying to do here. A lot of what we do on the city council is little fixes, some of them are temporary fixes. And it's we do our best to both work toward the future and build a city that I hope is less car dependent and has has more more bicyclists and more folks and it's more pedestrian friendly. And also it's really, really critical that where there are already existing spaces. That is what all of this is, is existing spaces for parking spaces. This is not trying to turn a park into a parking lot. I saw things like that. That's not what this is at all. This is our attempt to be creative and find, again, low cost, minimal effort improvements because we do need parking in the village. Again, long term, I agree. I would love to see us less dependent on cars. I would love to see it a safer space for pedestrians. And we work on that in other ways. But this specific item, I think, is really crucial for pedestrians. are businesses that are primarily small businesses. Primarily, they're not only small businesses, they're locally owned by the masons. And I think that we can get really creative here. I also think it's important to reaffirm that this is assessing the viability and implementation. We're not saying we're going to be able to do all of these right now. Parking fees, hopefully we'll be able to do them ASAP. But the others might need a lot more thorough of an investigation by the professionals. Councilwoman Lothian and I are not professionals in this field, but we do represent the city of Mesa just like all of us do. And we want the best for our residents. And for all of our small business owners, especially those that have been with us for a long time, we don't want to drive anyone out. And so that's I just wanted to address some of the things that I had seen because they are from people who I agree with, but they are. This is something that we are trying to do to help our city be more vibrant. And we're going to continue to do other things to ensure that we become less dependent on cars and can continue to bring more folks in, including expanding the trolley and other services like that. So I just wanted to address what I had seen, because I think this is pretty common sense and a really, really great idea. And I was really glad to be a part of it. And special thank you to our parking commissioner that does want to remain anonymous. But this was brilliant.

Thank you for those comments. And it is utilizing what's already here.

One speaker. OK, go ahead, Councilmember Suzuki.

Sorry, I have a few questions. The first question I have is, so the loading zone in front of Turpin and Rattan, What is that loading zone for? Do you guys know? Yeah.

I actually went into Turpin and Rattan and I asked them, I said, why do you guys have a white passenger loading, unloading zone? And they're like, we don't know. It's been here since long before we were here. We like it, but it's not, there is no passengers loading and unloading. They also do have a private parking lot and it is also one half block from curbside and restaurants and retail. It's a really valuable spot. I drive by it all the time and it's just empty and it's just wasted space.

OK, so that is helpful, actually, because I think that that's important, too. And I'm sure the staff is going to figure out how it's used. Just because my mom, she's 92. She lives with us. Sometimes we need loading zones to get her out of the car, and we can walk to things. And if we can't find a parking space, we gotta find a place to. And a lot of us are Sandwich Generation members, and so that's important. But yeah, I mean, this is great. And then the second question I have is, for me, I think I'm one of those tree people. I really love the trees. and my kids love the trees and my family loves the trees and we see the trees. So I think that is something I feel, but I love the parking tees. I think that's a great idea. I love the parking tees now. I'm interested in if we can make sure that we, you know, the bike racks are saved because it's important as, and I like the idea of the stenciled golf carts and the motorcycles, that's cute. And then, right, right, always. And then reduce the red curb on Allison Ave. I think I'm a little worried about that personally, because I would think that the reason the red curb exists is, there are several, I mean, I don't know, I'm just, I'm looking forward to the report for the city. I think, I'm really thankful to Vice Mayor and Council Member for bringing this up because I think that, we are cognizant of the concerns that have been brought up by parking. But I also want to give a nod to our resident who spoke earlier and say, I think that we also want to encourage people to use the trolley into the village. That's one thing we can do, and I don't know how we can do that, but it would be nice if, I don't know, this'll be later, but I think it'd be nice to look into if we could encourage people to use the trolley into into the village on Fridays at the very least for the farmer's market and any events. Thank you.

We have one speaker, Ryan Umbrenhauer. Welcome. Tap the, one more time, tap it one more time. There you go.

All right, let's start over. So good evening, members of the City Council. My name is Ryan Ebenhauer, and I am a La Mesa resident, as well as a financial advisor with my business in the La Mesa Village. I am very proud to be a part of this community. It is a sense of pride when I talk to my colleagues that I get to be deep in the La Mesa Village, to be part of what goes on around there, the walkable space that we have. But definitely one of the biggest challenges that we have is parking. My clients often consider parking availability when deciding how and when if they are going to visit my office. And I felt it personally as well. When I bring myself, friends, and family to downtown to enjoy dinner or spend time together, having to circle longer than expected to look for parking is quite a frustration. I really appreciated Councilmember Lothian's encouragement to come out here today to speak about this. I appreciate the proactive and creative approach to finding parking opportunities and looking for thoughtful and intentional ways to create better efficiency in spaces that are underutilized or could have been better utilized. Also, it's very exciting to possibly have the idea of being the first San Diego City to have golf cart parking, as well as being a regular motorcycle rider. I would very much appreciate having dedicated motorcycle parking which not only gives us protected space for our bikes, but also reduces the spaces that we are taking up for cars, which we try to be very conscious of, or at least most of us do. Um, so I think all of this will create a much more robust and welcoming downtown experience. More accessible parking means more customers, longer visits and stronger businesses and where our local businesses thrive. I think the entire community benefits from not only increased economic activity, but to a more lively and welcoming downtown. La Mesa truly is the jewel of the hills, and so I'd say let's make this easier for people to experience it. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay, so I move that the City Council direct staff to analyze the feasibility and implementation of the following five parking modifications in the downtown La Mesa Village and return with findings and recommendations within 60 days. Number one, reduction of the red curb in front of Coin House to the legally required minimum. Number two, conversion of the passenger loading zone at 4719 Palm Avenue to metered parking. Three, establishment of designated golf cart and motorcycle parking, including pavement stencils in spaces freed by relocating existing bike racks to adjacent sidewalks. Number four, installation of parking team markers throughout the downtown La Mesa footprint. And number five, conversion of the triangular dirt median behind Pete's Restaurant to parking spaces with a replacement tree planting plan.

Second.

Yeah, that's me.

Mayor, it looks like somehow you got kicked out of the system. Do you mind saying your vote aloud?

Yes. That is my vote and the answer to your question.

Motion carries with all council members voting yes.

Thank you. Council Committee Reports, Vice Mayor Casares? Aye. Council Member Suzuki? No. Council Member Lothian? None. Council Member Dillard? Anyone travel?

Yes, I did. On May 13th, I went to Sacramento the day after our council meeting and I went to Sacramento to participate in the Cal CCA 2026 conference and as part of my board member duties for San Diego Community Power Board and it was a great experience and it opened my eyes to the things that we can accomplish and I'm really glad that we are part of San Diego Community Power Board and supporting renewable energy in California.

Thank you. City Attorney comments. We're adjourned until June.