Daily Business Report-Feb. 10, 2016
City crews replacing aging pipe. (Fox5sandiego.com)
San Diego Infrastructure
Funding Proposal Advances
City News Service
The City Council Tuesday directed the City Attorney’s Office to draft final language for proposed ballot measures that would revise San Diego’s obsolete City Charter, including a plan to pay for future infrastructure projects.
The decisions on whether to actually place the measures on the June ballot will be considered by the council at a future meeting. Amendments to the charter — the city’s primary governing document — require a public vote.
A modified version of Councilman Mark Kersey’s “Rebuild San Diego” plan, which seeks to amend the charter to dedicate future sales tax growth and money from reduced pension payments toward neighborhood upgrades, was supported on a 7-2 vote.
The funding formula would be tied to the Consumer Price Index, a common measure of inflation, over the next 25 years.
Kersey, chairman of the council’s Infrastructure Committee, said the backlog of capital projects and maintenance is “the biggest crisis facing the city right now.”
Past councils ignored the need to fix up streets, sidewalks, storm drains, parks, libraries, recreation centers, and police and fire stations, but wouldn’t be able to anymore if his plan is enacted, Kersey said.
“What we’ve come up with is a dedicated funding stream that is able to be used for both the deferred maintenance backlog — which we know is enormous — as well as the new projects that we know we’re going to need,” he said.
A definition of infrastructure included in the council action precludes the revenue from being used on a new football stadium or convention center project.
Additionally, language will be added to clarify that the money won’t be spent on building new fire stations if a bond measure proposed by Councilwoman Marti Emerald for the November election passes. If her proposal fails, funding would be made available for fire station construction, as well as maintenance.
Councilmen David Alvarez and Todd Gloria opposed moving forward with crafting of the final ballot language. Alvarez said Rebuild San Diego falls short of what they city could accomplish in the next five years. Gloria said the proposal would not solve the infrastructure problem and would lock up the general fund — which pays for basic city services like public safety and libraries — for decades.
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Cal State San Marcos to Launch
New Car-Sharing Program with Zipcar
California State University San Marcos will launch a new car-sharing program on Thursday using Zipcar, a national car-sharing agency.
Zipcar will station two cars in designated parking spots in the university’s parking structure — a Ford C-Max Hybrid and a Nissan Versa. They can be reserved through the Zipcar app or the Zipcar website (www.zipcar.com/universities/cal-state-san-marcos).
The university says the cars are an especially convenient option for residential and international students without vehicles, as well as for transit commuters who want to run errands during the day. All 18 and older CSUSM students, and 21and older faculty, staff and community members who have a valid driver’s license are eligible to register for a Zipcar membership.
CSUSM students, faculty and staff can join Zipcar for $15, with rates starting as low as $7.50 per hour and $69 per day. Gas, insurance, and up to 180 miles of driving per day are included, and cars can be reserved for as little as an hour or for multiple days.
The launch event will be Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in University Plaza on campus.
City and Zipcar Formalize 5-Year
Agreement for Car-Sharing Program
City News Service
A five-year agreement between the city of San Diego and Zipcar for expansion of a car-sharing program was approved Tuesday by the City Council.
The agreement formalizes a relationship between the city and Zipcar, a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group that’s been operating locally for two years.
Car sharing through Zipcar and car2go, which previously reached an agreement with the city, has proven to be popular in Downtown San Diego, and officials hope to expand it into other areas where low-income residents can take advantage of the program.
car2go has 36,000 local members, according to Councilman Todd Gloria. He said his constituents who have given up their vehicles are saving over $1,000 in car payments, insurance, maintenance and gas.
The deal calls for a three-year base term and an option for a two-year renewal. Under terms of the agreement, Zipcar will pay a $45 annual per-car fee to the city as part of the program, and can advertise that it’s an official city partner.
The companies have different models. Zipcar works station-to-station, meaning that a vehicle has to be returned to a specific location, while car2go vehicles can be picked up and returned almost anywhere within its service territory.
Zipcar, since it’s owned by a major rental car company, also offers a variety of vehicles, including vans and trucks. The company has generally offered its services around the area’s universities, and some major housing complexes and employment centers.
Concordia University Irvine
Honors San Diego Graduate
Xavria Schwarz of San Diego, a 1996 graduate of Concordia University Irvine, has been named Alumn of the Year by the university. The award is given annually to an individual who is respected as an exceptional contributor and authority in his or her professional discipline and who has demonstrated outstanding qualities of character and leadership.
Schwarz is the principal at Christ Lutheran School in La Mesa. Under her leadership, she has played a pivotal role in funding and building a state-of-the-art kindergarten through eighth grade school facility, and led the school through key staffing and enrollment changes. She also launched the school’s Gifts of Grace Gala, an annual fundraiser that has generated over $500,000 in revenue.
CORRECTION
An item in Tuesday’s Daily Business Report erroneously stated that the San Diego HIV Funding Collaborative distributed more than $125,000 to 11 local nonprofits. Actually, the amount of funds distributed was more than $215,000.
The money will be used by the nonprofits for their HIV/AIDS programs and services.
Navy Amphibious Ship to Open
For Public Tours Feb. 17-18
The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage is scheduled for public visits at Broadway Pier on Feb. 17 and 18. Visitors will be able to take a tour of the ship and talk with members of the crew.
Public tours of the ship are scheduled for Feb. 17 from 1-4 p.m., and on Feb. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
USS Anchorage, homeported in San Diego, is the 7th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship. The ship was commissioned in her namesake city on May 4, 2013. The ship was built to embark, transport, and land elements of a U.S. Marine Corps landing force in a variety of special operations.
Touring the ship may not be appropriate for small children or those with medical conditions that impede mobility. Visitors should also expect security screenings prior to boarding.
All visitors 18 years of age and older are required to show a valid U.S. state/federal government issued photo identification card.
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Women’s Week Fights Back
In its seventh year of bringing a message of empowerment to women in the region, San Diego Women’s Week features speaker Tanya Brown, a mental health advocate and author of “The Seven Characters of Abuse,” to speak on Opening Day, March 14, at the California Center for the Arts Escondido. Event organizers have also aligned with several local organizations who help battered women get back on track, and will be collecting like-new career wear to donate directly to victims of abuse.
To learn more about the event or donating professional attire, visit click here
