Daily Business Report — Nov. 26, 2012
Todd Gloria Mentioned as the Next
President of the San Diego City Council
Voice of San Diego is assuming that Councilman Todd Gloria will become president of the San Diego City Council now that Tony Young has decided to give up the job and his council seat to lead the local Red Cross. “He (Gloria) will have a defining opportunity to make a mark on the city, writes Scott Lewis of Voice of San Diego. “He will be the City Council member who represents Downtown and mid-town and as president he’ll be the man who sets the agenda. That’s basically the position that mayors of the past had, before the strong mayor switch in 2006.” According to Lewis, Gloria is in a much better position than Mayor-Elect Bob Filner to frame the city’s issues than Filner is. “He strung together a series of promises that were both massive and vague. Things like expanding the port and putting solar panels on all public buildings. They’re years-long projects, not anything you can throw together in a couple months.”
San Diego Attorney Elevated to
San Diego Superior Court Bench
Paula S. Rosenstein, an attorney and partner at Rosenstein Wilson and Dean since 1997, has been appointed to the San Diego Superior Court bench by Gov. Jerry Brown. Rosenstein fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Linda B. Quinn. Rosenstein was a sole practitioner from 1991 to 1997, an associate attorney at Rosenstein Shpall and Associates from 1987 to 1991 and an associate attorney at Richard D. Prochazka APC in 1987. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from UC San Diego. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Linda B. Quinn. Rosenstein is a Democrat. The snnusl compensation is $178,789.
State Regulators to Decide Who Will
Pay for Uninsured Wildfire Costs
The longstanding question of who will foot the huge bill for the uninsured wildfire costs from 2007, customers or San Diego Gas & Electric’s shareholders, is expected to be settled this week, KPBS reports. The 2007 wildfires killed two people and destroyed 1,300 homes. State investigators found that the SDG&E violated safety rules by failing to properly design, construct and maintain its power lines and that’s what caused the fires. The company ultimately paid a $14 million settlement over the fires. But the fires caused as much as $2 billion in damages in San Diego County. SDG&E has also settled with hundreds of people who lost their homes in the fires and has exceeded its $1 billion liability insurance limit. It’s the bill for the remaining, uninsured, damages that could total hundreds of millions more that SDG&E wants customers — not shareholders — to shoulder. Consumer groups said the total increase could cost anywhere from $350 to $700 per meter.
Water Authority Board to Vote on Purchase
Agreement with Desalination Plant Developer
The San Diego County Water Authority board of directors on Thursday will consider approval of a 30-year water purchase agreement with Poseidon Resources, the private developer of a proposed seawater desalination plant in Carlsbad. The draft Water Purchase Agreement was made public on Sept. 27 after nearly a year of negotiations between Water Authority staff and Poseidon. The desalination plant, which would produce 50 million gallons of fresh drinking water a day at a facility next to the Encina Power Station, has all permits necessary for construction. It would produce water by 2016 if the Water Authority board approves the deal. The plant would provide 48,000 to 56,000 acre-feet of desalinated seawater annually, and by 2020 it would account for an estimated 7 percent of the total regional supply or about one-third of all water generated in San Diego County. It would be the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere.
Sharp HealthCare Selects 3M for Medical Records Coding
Sharp HealthCare in San Diego has selected the 3M 360 Encompass System to automate medical records coding and monitoring across all of its health facilities, including four acute-care hospitals and affiliated medical groups. The advanced technology from 3M Health Information Systems will help Sharp HealthCare achieve greater coding productivity, complete documentation for better coded data, more accurate reimbursement, and actionable data to improve patient care processes, according to Kari Cornicelli, chief financial officer for Sharp Grossmont Hospital. 3M Health Information Systems is based in Salt Lake City.
Knott’s Soak City-San Diego Sold to Sea World Subsidiary
Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. has sold Knott’s Soak City – San Diego, to a subsidiary of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. “For this particular property, a unique opportunity presented itself to team with SeaWorld to offer a premium product to its guests in the San Diego region,” said Matt Ouimet, president and chief executive officer. “The net proceeds from this sale will be reinvested in our core assets including the multi-year refreshment of our hotel properties in Sandusky, Ohio.” Cedar Fair is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky and one of the largest regional amusement-resort operators in the world. The company owns and operates 11 amusement parks, five outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels.
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR
San Diego’s MOVERS & SHAKERS
We’re seeking nominees for our sixth annual Metro Movers awards. Please submit your nominations by Dec. 13 to Rebeca Page at rebecapage@sandiegometro.com or fax to her at (858) 759-5755 or mail to
SD METRO at P.O. Box 3679, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067.
The Daily Business Report is produced by SD METRO. Contact: Manny Cruz (619) 287-1865. manny@sandiegometro.com.
