Last month, San Diego Police Department Eastern Division’s new captain, Captain Clendenen, stopped by with her Community Relations officers to discuss issues that District 7 constituents are facing. I’m incredibly thankful for her leadership in the Eastern Division, which includes Allied Gardens, Grantville, San Carlos, Del Cerro and College.

I’m committed to supporting SDPD’s efforts to keep our communities safe, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to communicate frequently with SDPD leadership.

Residents on Carthage Street reached out to my office regarding some overgrown vegetation in the city’s right-of-way. My staff coordinated with the Transportation Department to address the issue, which was handled promptly! Thank you to the residents who reached out and the city crews who cleared the area. See the results below.

Last month, I attended the Friends of Del Cerro’s annual meeting to provide updates on my work at City Council. I also brought commendations to honor their great work in keeping our neighborhood safe, exploring community improvements, and connecting neighbors to resources. I am truly grateful for the Friends of Del Cerro and thankful for the opportunity to participate in this board meeting.

The City of San Diego Transportation Department's crews recently repaired a damaged sidewalk on Arno Drive. Sidewalk repairs are a top priority of mine and I’m thankful for the Transportation Department’s prompt response to the outreach from residents in Del Cerro. Please take a look at the results below!

Steve and Betty Rodriguez, longtime Linda Vista residents, run a fantastic weekly newsletter called the Linda Vista Update. If you aren’t already a reader, I highly recommend visiting this link to subscribe. Steve and Betty share restaurant recommendations, community event notifications, important neighborhood updates, and hyper-local reporting with a light-hearted flair.

A couple weeks ago, they interviewed my Community Representative for Linda Vista, Miles Noel, in the section “Miles Noel Helps Out LV Residents” -- a title I wholeheartedly endorse! Thank you, Steve and Betty, for your efforts to keep Linda Vistans informed and connect them with resources like our very own Miles. If you’d like to read the interview, in which Miles discusses his role and recommendations for residents, click here.

In last month’s edition of Local Luminary, I recognized Michele Addington, Chair of the Mission Valley Planning Group and an avid Mission Trails Regional Park hiker. Michele was nominated for Local Luminary by staff at the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation. She is a true bright spot in the community and inspires others through leading on community development, regularly hosting group hikes, and co-organizing events and activities for East County Singles and Couples Over 45.

Thank you, Michele, for your unwavering commitment in bringing joy to others. I'm also grateful for Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation in nominating Michele. If you'd like to nominate someone for Local Luminary, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Residents of San Carlos contacted me about a faded stop sign and street blade names at the intersection of Rancho Park Drive and Cypress Point Road. My staff reached out to the Transportation Department and urged a repair, which they took care of swiftly. Thank you to the City crews for taking care of this so quickly and to the residents who reached out to us. See the results below!

Circulate San Diego is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving mobility and creating healthy neighborhoods through outreach and educational programming. With grant funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the City of San Diego, Circulate recently conducted a series of pedestrian, bicycle, driver, and transit programming throughout San Diego. This included a handful of classes and activities in District 7, such as a group bike ride to Lake Murray pictured below.

As a strong advocate for safer streets and sidewalks, I’m incredibly thankful for Circulate San Diego’s actions in the community to inspire safety and promote mobility.

Our communities thrive thanks to individuals like Carl Demas, the longtime chair of the Serra Mesa Community Council. Last month, Carl stepped down after 15 years of service: 15 years of unwavering commitment and outstanding leadership in the Serra Mesa community. I joined his last meeting to present a proclamation officially declaring October 6th, 2024 “Carl Demas Day” in the City of San Diego. Thank you, Carl, for your many years spent bettering Serra Mesa.

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 Birdland community participated in two recent cleanups—one major cleanup and one mini cleanup—to remove a total of 36.69 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.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 23 from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM. I will be hosting a bulk trash drop-off event at the Tierrasanta Recreation Center and encourage everyone to swing by. Please note that, while the event is scheduled to run until 11:00 AM, the dumpsters are available while space lasts. These events are popular, so plan to arrive early. I look forward to seeing you there!

Location: 11220 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92124. Please navigate to the parking lot directly southwest of basketball courts. Date and Time: Saturday, November 23 from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM. Dumpsters are available while space lasts only. Items not accepted: electronics, batteries, paint, drums of liquid, hazardous waste, auto parts, construction materials, sand, dirt, rocks, asbestos. Who: Tierrasanta Residents only.

Whether it’s fundraising for Tierrasanta Oktoberfest and the Patriot Day Parade, awarding students with scholarships, or organizing volunteer activities, Tierrasanta Kiwanis Club is always exploring ways to develop and bring joy to the community. I was honored to receive a Certificate of Appreciation at their recent meeting. Thank you, Tierrasanta Kiwanis Club, for the recognition and for your continued partnership in supporting District 7 wellbeing.

Tierrasanta Foundation hosted the “Monster Dash” 5K last month which featured a run/walk race, prizes for the top 3 finishers in each age group, prizes for winners of the costume contest, music, food, and activities for the kids. My Community Representatives, Vic and Anthony, stopped by to spend time with the community. They reported that the event was a huge success!

A special congratulations to the winners, pictured above, and kudos to all of the participants for your efforts. I look forward to next year's event. I also thank Tierrasanta Foundation and all of the sponsors for organizing these well-loved community celebrations!

Community Event Alert!

Please consider attending Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation’s Holiday Market this upcoming Saturday, November 9th. The MTRP Visitor Center will host several local makers and artists for a seasonal marketplace. This is a great opportunity to do some holiday shopping for the outdoorsy people in your life and support Mission Trails—a percentage of all sales benefit the park! I hope to see you there.

Big thanks to Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation for supporting our regional arts and small business economy.

Mission Trails also kicked off their Hit the Trails Hike-a-Thon on October 15. Participants will have until January 15, 2025 to track mileage and seek donations—one-time or by the mile—from their network. The money raised will go toward trail maintenance, educational programming, and other park initiatives. So far, the effort has raised $23,238 of their $100,000 goal. You can visit the link here to check out the leaderboard and register if you’d like to participate.

Each year, Councilmembers submit a preliminary memo to the Independent Budget Analyst outlining their priorities for the city’s $2 billion budget. Below are a few of my requests for Fiscal Year 2026, which reflect the needs of our communities.

These priorities are shaped by various factors, including input from constituents and community groups, audits and reports on city programs, and funding requests from departments responsible for essential services like transportation. I also consider the city’s long-term strategic goals, collaborate with regional partners (such as small businesses and nonprofits), and review legislative mandates to ensure we address key policy initiatives.

To read the full budget memo, click here.

This memo is just one step in the budget process, so please feel free to reach out if you have any suggestions for the upcoming budget cycle.

The City of San Diego administers grant money to local non-profits through several different programs, two of which allow Councilmembers to directly review applications and provide recommendations on: the Community Projects, Programs and Services (CPPS) Program and the Arts, Culture and Community Festivals (ACCF) Program. This year, each City Council office had $100,000 in CPPS funding and $50,000 in ACCF funding to recommend for projects and programs that serve the City of San Diego. We received 536 applications with a total of $9.7 million in funding requests between both CPPS and ACCF.

After careful consideration, I submitted my recommendations last month. I’m proud to support our esteemed network of San Diego non-profit organizations, which provide critical services, educational opportunities, cultural events and so much more. Over a third of the funding went straight back to District 7 organizations and events such as the Tierrasanta Community Council, Linda Vista Farmers Market, and the Total Altruistic Project Foundation. Please take a look below for an overview of how the $150,000 was allocated. Thank you to all of the nonprofit organizations that took the time to apply and contribute so much to the City of San Diego!

The City of San Diego Transportation Department maintains more than 55,000 streetlights in the City right-of-way. In an effort to reduce the backlog of over 5,000 streetlight service requests, city crews recently made a concerted effort to conduct citywide repairs, which included 116 repairs in District 7. The Transportation Department encourages residents to utilize Get It Done to make requests for additional repairs and will continue to make repairs on identified streetlights. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with requests, as well.

I'm incredibly thankful for the Transportation Department’s hard work at addressing this Citywide backlog, an issue I know is important to District 7 residents.

Sincerely,