Daily Business Report-Aug. 2, 2013

Recall leaders Stampp Corbin, left, and Michael Pallamary

Leaders of Two Filner Recall

Efforts May Combine Campaigns

The organizers of two separate efforts to recall Mayor Bob Filner were expected to announce today that they are combining their recall efforts, KPBS reports. Stampp Corbin, the publisher of LGBT Weekly, and land use consultant Michael Pallamary, scheduled a morning press conference in Civic Center Plaza. Until now, Corbin and Pallamary have been running separate recall efforts, leading to legal questions about whether Corbin’s recall campaign could cancel out Pallamary’s because Corbin’s was filed first. Questions have been raised about whether Corbin’s effort was an attempt to derail Pallamary’s recall campaign, a claim Corbin denies.

Ronne Froman-Blue Chairing San Diego Fleet Week Foundation

Retired Navy Rear Adm. Ronne Froman (now Froman-Blue following her marriage to General Atomics’ Linden Blue), who most recently made headlines by accusing Mayor Bob Filner of unwanted sexual advances, has been chosen as 2013 honorary chair of the San Diego Fleet Week Foundation, the organization that puts on the annual tribute to the Navy and military. Froman-Blue’s 31 years in the Navy culminated as director of Ashore Readiness for the Chief of Naval Operations, responsible for nearly 90 Navy stations and bases around the world with a $7 billion dollar budget. Since 2010, Froman-Blue has been the CEO/Chair of REBOOT, a veterans program that provides behavioral training for a successful transition from military to civilian life. Froman-Blue was one of eight women who came forward publicly recently to accuse San Diego Mayor Bob Filner of  inappropriate sexual advances.

Since retirement from the Navy, Froman-Blue has served in a variety of civilian jobs: chief of business operations for the San Diego Unified School District; CEO of the San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter of the American Red Cross; chief operating officer for the city of San Diego; and senior vice president for the energy group of General Atomics.

Only One Recall Effort Can Appear On Ballot, City Attorney’s Office Says

Multiple recall efforts against the same office-holder are legal in the city of San Diego, but only one is allowed to appear on an election ballot, the City Attorney’s Office announced Thursday, City News Service reports. The memo sent to city officials and the media cleared up uncertainty created by separate recall efforts that target Mayor Bob Filner. The first was started by Stampp Corbin, the publisher of LGBT Weekly, and the second launched by land use consultant Michael Pallamary.

Corbin’s effort has been beset by accusations that he started his recall effort to prevent others from being successful, a charge he denies. Corbin and Pallamary reportedly met Wednesday and were planning to make a statement today.

The memo from Deputy City Attorney Sharon Spivak, the city’s election law specialist, said nothing in the municipal code prevents separate efforts to collect petition signatures to recall an elected official. However, once one is certified for the ballot, the City Clerk’s Office is barred from accepting another recall petition, she said.

San Diego Shipyards Urge Rejection of Barrio Logan Plan Update

San Diego’s three commercial shipyards have delivered a joint letter to San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez urging him to reject a plan for the Barrio Logan Community Plan Update that they say threatens the economic viability of the maritime industry, and adopt another that provides a safe buffer between future homes and current industrial uses. The city’s current recommendation for the Barrio Logan Plan Update proposes to change zoning regulations to allow more than 500 new residential units within 1,000 feet of the shipyards. If approved by the San Diego City Council, the action would potentially violate the city’s general plan, which calls for a 1,000-foot buffer between industrial and residential uses, the shipyards claim. “The city’s proposed recommendation for the Barrio Logan Community Plan Update is a direct threat to the future of an industry that generates $14 billion annually and employs nearly 50,000 San Diegans,” said Frederick J. Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO.  “Proposing to place more than 500 new residential units within a stone’s throw of our front door is not a good planning, policy or business decision.”

As a solution, the shipbuilders are recommending that Alvarez and his colleagues adopt an alternative plan that provides a greater distance between future residential and current industrial uses, limits the amount of new housing and protects valuable parking in the community.

Angie Popek Joins Dowling & Yahnke as a Portfolio Manager

Angie Popek has joined Dowling & Yahnke LLC , a wealth advisory firm, as a portfolio manager. Popek previously was with Charles Schwab for 11 years, the last five as a senior relationship manager. She was chief of staff to the president of Charles Schwab Institutional for more than three years. Popek spent two years working for The Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm in Chicago. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Autism Center to Hold Grand Opening of Treatment Facility

Center for Autism and Related Disorders will host the grand opening of its San Marcos treatment center on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at 334 Via Vera Cruz. The community is invited to meet the staff, tour the facility, and review the cutting-edge CARD curriculum. The afternoon will include a reception, presentations, live entertainment, and children’s activities. Refreshments and childcare will be provided. To reserve, visit D.Plump@centerforautism.com. “We are excited to expand our services to the San Marcos area,” said operations manager Christopher Shilling. “We want to enable those who live in the San Marcos and surrounding area to receive the effective treatment that they need to reach their highest potential.” CARD uses the principles and procedures of applied behavior analysis therapy.  Services include center-based treatment, home-based services, school shadowing, and parent training.