Good morning from Point Loma.
- We’re all budget all the time at The Agenda. We ended Friday with our final guest blog on the city’s $179 million deficit. This one has ideas from readers.
Our own Scott Lewis tackles the city’s “structural deficit.” The U-T’s editorial page says city parking meter fee increases is a fee increase it can believe in.
- The big City Council news today will be a decision on spending $700,000 to negotiate a deal with a developer on a new City Hall building. The U-T’s editorial page says, “Yes.” Also, City Hall boosters published an opinion article in Sunday’s U-T.
- Before the City Hall talk, Mayor Jerry Sanders and Councilman Todd Gloria will be in Balboa Park to discuss a task force that will develop a public nonprofit to fundraise and manage the 1,200-acre park.
- Our own Adrian Florido tells of a new Pacific Highlands Ranch fire truck that is now serving the old community of North Park. Pacific Highlands Ranch received North Park’s hand-me-down.
- The U-T rounds up recent news on Chargers stadium talks and leads with Escondido’s evolving proposal.
If you’re looking for more Chargers news you should check out this online chat with team special counsel Mark Fabiani from Friday.
- This report on pensions countywide from the San Diego County Taxpayers Association is continuing to spark discussion. The U-T says pension payments are a “curse” on city budgets. The newspaper also cites National City as a model reformer. The North County Times cites the report in an editorial that calls pension costs “unsustainable.”
The drumbeat against a pension increase by the Metropolitan Water District continues with this North County Times editorial. The vote is scheduled for Tuesday.
The retirement investment consultant for San Diego County could receive up to $4.51 million in the first three years and three months of his contract.
In other pension news, the Washington Post has a lengthy piece on public sector pensions, including a mention of California, as part of its ongoing series on consequences of the national economic crisis.
- Looking for your medical marijuana fix? The North County Times reveals details from raids on county marijuana outlets last month. CityBeat blogs about the first meeting of the city of San Diego’s medical marijuana task force and the lack of participation from the Mayor’s Office.
- Poway Councilwoman Betty Rexford says she will not resign despite a recall effort and a vote of her colleagues to do so. The U-T’s Logan Jenkins says it’s time for her to go.
- In other cities around San Diego County, Escondido is revising its general plan. Encinitas is debating new pedestrian railroad crossings. Oceanside is looking at deleting nonpublic e-mail from its servers in 90 days instead of two years.
- Finally, one of my favorite writers at the New York Times has a funny article on presidential proclamations. Reminds me of some of the proclamations at San Diego City Council.