A lot of explosive news has come out of the civil trial involving Jane Doe, who’s suing the city over a sexual battery incident involving former police officer Anthony Arevalos. But most of what’s been reported has centered on the city attorney’s handling of the case.
Less talked about is that on top of money, Doe’s lawyers are asking for the police department to be placed under an outside monitorship.
In the past four years, the department has faced many other internal and external complaints about officer treatment of women and other mistakes and misconduct. In civil court filings, the city says it handles complaints of officer sexual misconduct appropriately.
Experts say monitorship arrangements can turn around problem departments. But they can also cost a city big bucks.
• NBC 7 San Diego has more on the latest allegations of sexual assault by an officer.
City COO Speaks on Parking Meters
Thursday, Scott Lewis chronicled the mysterious and abrupt end to a year-long effort to contract out an overhaul of city parking meters. Friday, Lewis caught up with San Diego’s chief operating officer Scott Chadwick.
Chadwick wants people to know that, though it’s disappointing to have to reset a contracting effort like that, city managers wanted to ensure the process was squeaky clean.
And they received information that it wasn’t. But he wouldn’t go much further.
• Lewis will be on NBC 7 San Diego’s Politically Speaking Sunday morning after Meet the Press.
Hillcrest Biz Cries ‘Save Our Parking’
A Hillcrest business owner is mobilizing his counterparts to try to stop or modify a plan that would eliminate parking spaces for new bicycle infrastructure.
Tapping Into the Drought’s Impact on Brewers
California’s drought won’t just impact your tap or your lawn. It might impact – gasp! – your growler. For San Diego’s craft beer community, worrisome water forecasts could impact their ability to grow their businesses, which is why some are embracing water-saving practices now. Craft brewers use lots of water during the beer-making process, to cool down instruments and to clean and sanitize equipment.
Stone is leading the way when it comes to conservation efforts – it even has someone employed as a wastewater manager. Other smaller breweries don’t have that luxury, though: A co-founder of the growing Coronado Brewing Company, for example, says he’s afraid of how high water rates might climb.
The Columnist and the Advisor
It’s not uncommon for local institutions and leaders to view a local news columnist as a thorn in their sides, always nit-picking or pushing for something better.
Voice of San Diego co-founder Neil Morgan did both and so much more – and San Diego leaders listened, writes UC San Diego Associate Vice Chancellor Mary Walshok in a new column.
What We Learned This Week
• Kevin Faulconer will be our next mayor – and the state GOP couldn’t be happier. Progressives could be a little happier (David Alvarez will be fine, though).
• San Diego Unified has moved the goal posts on charter schools yet again. This time, they changed eligibility rules for Prop. Z funds.
• Cindy Marten wants to take bold action to eliminate the achievement gap (or whatever you call it).
• One dark-cloud property could rain all over Otay Mesa’s new community plan.
• At least one local chef has a much different view of the local restaurant scene than Jay Porter.
• We have two new Fact Check ratings, one of which helps explain why a 10-year-old minimum wage study doesn’t translate to today.
• We can’t quite call San Diego’s housing climate a bubble.
Quick News Hits
• The Sports Report is nice to the Padres for once and reviews why Aztec basketball is like the Seahawks in the NFL.
• Things are looking increasingly bad for the 2015 Centennial Celebration at Balboa Park. Organizers announced Friday that Julie Dubick will be the third CEO to abandon the effort.
• The city’s Ethics Commission fined ex-mayoral hopeful David Alvarez $2,000 for two mailers without proper “paid for” disclosures.
• The state of California plans to replace its downtown courthouse with a new $555 million one. Construction starts next month.
Quote of the Week
“Thank you San Diego, thank you San Diego, thank you San Diego.”
– Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer on Election Night.