The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) provides opportunities throughout the district for residents to leave bulky items on their curb for pick up. The Allied Gardens community participated in a recent mini cleanup to remove a total of 5.26 tons of waste! Big thank you to Environmental Services Department staff for organizing this service and to the residents who took advantage of it.

Interested in having a Mini Bulk Cleanup on your block? ESD hosts 1-2 a month and determines the location by referencing a running list of residential requests. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with your request. We are happy to pass your street name along to ESD.

San Diego Fire Department is testing a new, natural fire retardant on brush in parts of the Navajo Community and the broader City of San Diego. Last week, they sprayed the solution along evacuation routes in Del Cerro. The week prior, they sprayed it on brush near and along Lake Murray. The product is Citrotech, “a citrus-based fire retardant, produced by Mighty Fire Breaker.” I tagged along to learn more about the product and was pleased to learn that it is incredibly effective. It is safe to use around kids and pets and is capable of withstanding extreme heat. To watch video of my conversation with Deputy Fire Chief Tosca on Citrotech, click here.

Amidst all of the fire danger San Diego County experienced over the last several weeks, which I’ve written more about in the Delving Deeper section, I’m incredibly thankful for our dedicated and proactive fire department for preventing serious fire emergencies. Innovative strategies like these are critical in keeping our community safe and prepared.

Community Event Alert!

My Linda Vista and Mission Valley Town Hall is this week! Please consider attending on Thursday, February 6th, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Bayside Community Center. To RSVP, please email vvettiyil@sandiego.gov.

San Diego Humane Society recently brought in a large influx of animals rescued from the fires in Los Angeles. While fostering applications are currently on hold—thanks to the incredible number of folks in San Diego who volunteered—many animals are still on the search for their forever homes. If you are currently looking for a furry friend and have the ability, please consider adopting from SD Humane Society.

Last month, I stopped by the Linda Vista campus and had the pleasure of meeting a sweet, adoptable puppy named Stuart. I posted an Instagram reel of my visit, which you can watch here! Thank you, San Diego Humane Society, for your incredible efforts to care for, and find permanent homes for, animals of all kinds!

In January’s edition of Local Luminary, we honored a true hero: California Highway Patrol Officer Reardon. On November 18, 2024, Officer Reardon arrived alone at the scene of a serious accident. The driver, who had experienced a medical emergency and crashed down an embankment in Mission Valley, was trapped in his van and engulfed in flames. Officer Reardon risked his life and expertly used his fire extinguisher to keep flames off the victim.

Thanks to Officer Reardon's heroism and quick thinking, the driver survived the fire while additional emergency personnel extinguished it and extracted him from the vehicle. It was an honor to meet you, Officer Reardon. Thank you for your outstanding commitment to keeping our community safe.

This year, I’ll be regularly posting videos in a new series called How Do I. Over the last four years, I’ve gotten countless questions about City of San Diego processes: How do I apply for a permit? How do I know if my road is scheduled to be fixed? How do I host a block party? My hope is that, through How Do I, I give you the tools and knowledge to navigate City of San Diego processes with ease.

I recently uploaded my first on the topic of reporting potholes. I filmed the video at a particularly bad pothole in San Carlos—on Wingspan Drive—which I was pleased to see filled the very next day. If you’d like to watch the video, click here!

I’m proud to share that, after my advocacy, road repairs are moving forward in San Carlos! Right now, a couple roads in San Carlos are currently undergoing a mill and pave treatment. Fontaine Street, from Lewison Drive to Princess View Drive, is currently under construction and, weather permitting, is expected to finish within the next couple of days. This strip of road is .81 lane-miles and includes streets segments rated as “failed” on the City’s Pavement Condition Index. Thank you to the Transportation Department for your hard work in keeping our streets in the best shape possible!

My Serra Mesa Town Hall is this week! Please consider attending on Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the Stonecrest Club House (3110 W Canyon Ave, San Diego, CA 92123). These town halls are a great opportunity to hear an update on the accomplishments of the past four years and my vision for the upcoming term. I’ll also open the floor to questions from you. To RSVP, please email vvettiyil@sandiego.gov or click here.

Last month, I had the pleasure of honoring Ray Lebron by leading my colleagues in declaring November 19, 2024 "Ray Lebron Day." Ray is a Tierrasanta resident who was one of 12 inductees into the 2024 National Blood Bank Hall of Fame for donating blood over 190 times, chairing numerous blood drives resulting in more than 845 pints of blood collected, and being a committed volunteer for decades. Ray has dedicated his life to doing good for others and demonstrates that service comes in many forms. Thank you, Ray, for being an inspiration to all San Diegans.

I’ve been fighting to get Quito Ct repaved since 2020, and I’m thrilled to finally see it happen! This road was recently repaired by the City’s in-house mill and pave teams—an addition to our Transportation Department that I strongly advocated for. Having our own crews means we can tackle major rehabilitation projects more efficiently, cut costs, and reduce wait times by not relying on outside contractors.

This is a big win for our community, but we’re not stopping here—my team and I are working every day to get more streets repaved across District 7! Want to help get more eyes on your street? Check out the recent How Do I tutorial on reporting a pothole through the app and contacting our team for our assistance with the report.

Last month, the City Council voted unanimously to purchase 14.9 acres of land in the East Elliott area. The acquisition of this land will help expand Mission Trails Regional Park and protect vulnerable local species by preserving their natural habitats. This purchase was made possible thanks to the Habitat Acquisition Fund, a funding stream for these specific types of acquisitions. Since taking office in 2020, approximately 320 acres have been acquired and dedicated as open space as part of San Diego’s Multiple Species Conservation Program.

Mission Trails Regional Park’s Hit the Trails Hike-a-Thon officially wrapped up on January 15th. Participants, who tracked hiking, running, biking, walking and climbing mileage, fundraised $45,385 for trail maintenance, educational programs for youth, and other park initiatives. I’m incredibly impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm exhibited by participants and thankful for their effort to support Mission Trails. Congratulations to all of the participants for your collective accomplishment!

Given the tragic fires in Los Angeles, as well as several structure-threatening fires that popped up around San Diego amidst dangerous fire conditions, fire prevention and emergency preparedness strategies have been top of mind for local leaders and residents alike. Last month, I engaged in frequent conversations with the San Diego Fire Department about the things we can all be doing to prevent fire emergencies.

The San Diego Fire Department strongly encourages San Diego citizens to review the Ready, Set, Go! Guide to developing emergency plans for wildfires. The Ready, Set, Go! Guide contains well-researched steps on the best methods for preparing your family to safely navigate a potential fire emergency. Although none of us hope to utilize an emergency plan, it’s critical that we develop one and review it with loved ones and neighbors. The Ready, Set, Go! Guide is linked here.

A key component of preparation addressed in the Ready, Set, Go! Guide is brush management. Brush management in San Diego is a collective responsibility between homeowners, the City, and other entities like CalTrans.

Thank you to the San Diego Fire Department for such swift action on the fires that cropped up in Linda Vista, Grantville, and other City of San Diego neighborhoods last month. Their capacity to continue these critical efforts to mitigate fire emergencies relies upon our awareness and preparedness. Let’s keep up the good work in keeping San Diego safe!

Sincerely,