The Agenda: Today’s A.M. Political Roundup

Good morning from Hillcrest.

• We’ll start today with a departure. David Wescoe, who took over the city of San Diego’s retirement system following the pension scandal, is taking a job as the pension administrator for the Motion Picture Industry. The U-T quotes Mayor Jerry Sanders praising Wescoe’s transparency.
• We’ve reported on a Chargers stadium target in downtown San Diego that includes the Wonder Bread building east of Petco Park. The owners of the building would like to remind the mayor and the Chargers that they exist.
• A new Mayor’s Office spokesman compared the Republican Party to an infamous San Diego County cult on his Twitter feed yesterday. He apologized and said his comments have nothing to do with his boss, who is a Republican.  He’s now deleted the post and subsequent apology from Twitter.
• The Centre City Development Corp. is taking bids to clean up a city-owned property at 7th Avenue and Market Street. The site is where a $400 million-plus hotel was to be built before the redevelopment agency cancelled the project because of the conflict of interest issues surrounding its former president Nancy Graham.
• A comparison of salaries shows that the city’s independent auditor is well paid. A council committee will conduct a performance review of the auditor next week.
• In other news around San Diego County, the County Board of Supervisors approved a building and land swap that would allow the state to build a 17-story courthouse in downtown San Diego. And the county is reforming a service program for the elderly.

Oceanside’s council will again take up raising water and sewer rates after a credit agency put the city on watch.

Today’s North County Times story on embattled Poway councilwoman Betty Rexford is about a fight between her and local Republican officials. Rexford left the party and the party called on her to resign as she faced recall.

Carlsbad received a key permit for a desalination plan aimed to help the area with its water woes. Environmental groups haven’t given up fighting the project.

Vista’s City Council is talking about eminent domain for a motel in the way of a redevelopment project. 

• Lisa Sanders, the daughter of San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, has started a group that promotes women in politics. The group will hold a meeting next Tuesday with San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore as its guest.
• Finally, L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez brings us his second story about his time as a medical marijuana patient. And Capitol Weekly reports on a poll that shows most Californians want to keep marijuana against the law despite coming ballot measures that will push for its legalization.

— LIAM DILLON