Look, I know as well as anyone that not everyone has the time or capacity to sit through hours-long City Council meetings every week. That’s why I’ve started a new series on my social media channels: City Council in Sixty Seconds. The goal is to pick a few of the most important or relevant actions that the City Council has taken each week and bring it to you in a bite-size, digestible way.

I encourage you to follow me on my Instagram and other social media channels to make sure you’re up to date, but I’ll also include brief recaps in the Raul Roundup.

This week, the City Council:

1. Increased safety standards for live event workers in San Diego (more on that below)
2. Awarded funding to local nonprofit orgs, including Diversionary Theater Production, the Linda Vista Multicultural Fair, Persian Cultural Center, and Guitars in the Classroom
3. Made it easier for the City Attorney to file lawsuits against the federal government

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but rather a reflection of what I find to be especially relevant to District 7 residents.

Watch the video here!

Live event workers deserve a safe workplace, just like everyone else. That’s why I authored an ordinance to increase safety standards for live event workers at city-owned facilities and parks in San Diego – and this week, it passed the City Council unanimously.

The genesis of this ordinance came from talking with people in the industry and learning more about the lack of universal safety standards. While the state and County have adopted similar ordinances, the City did not yet have something like this. In fact, San Diego was the first city in California to pass a law of this type.

As Fernanda Flores, the Political Director of IATSE 122, the local stagehands union, said: “Too many live event workers have suffered injuries and accidents due to a lack of universal safety standards. The ordinance passed by the San Diego City Council [this week] prioritizes the health and safety of live event workers in our city.”

The Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) will be hosting a virtual Budget Crash Course on Thursday, March 20 at 5pm. If you’d like to learn more about the City’s budget process, including how you can make your voice heard, sign up here.

Yesterday, the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation hosted a closing ceremony for their Hit the Trails Hike-a-Thon, which fundraised nearly $46,000 for trail maintenance, educational programming, and park improvements. My staff attended to present category winners with special commendations for their outstanding work. Congratulations to all the participants and those who took home awards!

I always like to share some nice community infrastructure upgrades when I get the chance. Pictured below is a newly painted crosswalk at the corner of College Ave and Lance Street in Del Cerro. Looking good! My staff and I continue to work hard to upgrade more District 7 infrastructure every day.