San Diego City Council President Sean-Elo Rivera is proposing a moratorium on no-fault residential evictions.
In a statement, Elo-Rivera said action on the local level was needed to prevent more San Diegans from falling into homelessness and to stabilize families still dealing with the impacts of the pandemic. The measure would prevent landlords from tossing tenants who haven’t done anything wrong.
State law allows for evictions if the owner or a relative wants to occupy the unit, wants to withdraw it from the market, wants to substantially renovate it, or needs to comply with a government order.
Elo-Rivera said his measure would prohibit these evictions for 60 days after the end of the official Covid state of emergency. It’s expected to get a hearing in front of the Council on April 4.
The Southern California Rental Housing Association, which represents property owners and managers, came out against the measure in an email blast to its members. The organization said “current circumstances and the availability of rental assistance have lessened the need for such restrictions.”
At the same time, the California Department of Housing and Community Development says it will stop accepting applications for rental relief starting on April 1. KPBS reported earlier this week that roughly two-thirds of applicants are still waiting for assistance.
San Diego Unified Supe Gets Big Pay Bump
Lamont Jackson, San Diego Unified’s new superintendent, will get a significant pay bump compared to his predecessor, as the Union-Tribune reported. Jackson will make $375,000 per year, but the figure is not out of line with other superintendents across the county.
San Diego Unified’s superintendent salary has been low for the past several years, compared to several nearby districts. Until now, previous superintendents made less than $300,000 per year. But several superintendents at much smaller districts around the county make more than $300,000 per year.
Some charter school executives also make well into the three hundred thousands.
Los Angeles Unified recently hired a new superintendent at $440,000 per year.
Grocery Store Strike In the Works
Grocery store workers voted this week on whether to authorize a strike against Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions. As the U-T reports, the results won’t be announced until Monday but comments from workers on the ground — who say their wages aren’t keeping pace with inflation — suggest it’s trending in that direction.
The chains are proposing a 60-cent per hour raise for each year of the contract and the members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union are seeking $2 for the first year and $1.50 for the following two. Ralphs said the average worker currently makes $19 an hour.
Negotiations are ongoing, and as the U-T noted, a strike authorization doesn’t necessarily mean the workers will immediately walk off the job. It simply opens the door to that possibility as the union keeps talking to the grocery chains.
In Other News
- NBC 7 reports that the county is ending its vaccination mandate for new hires and won’t make unvaccinated employees test for COVID. After all that.
- A San Diego appeals court judge and the daughter of Mexican immigrants was confirmed as the first Latina to serve on the California Supreme Court. (Associated Press)
- As San Diego’s list of infrastructure projects grows, so does the cumulative costs of public works, writes U-T columnist Michael Smolens. Most of the shortfall comes from the need to upgrade the city’s stormwater drainage system.
- The only Republican with strong backing has dropped out of the running for San Diego City Council District 6, leaving the last GOP seat in jeopardy. (Union-Tribune)
- In an ongoing effort to move away from its core business model, SeaWorld will be opening a Sesame Street theme park in Chula Vista on Saturday. (10 News)
- Jada Williams is a top-ranked high school basketball player, who plays at La Jolla Country Day. She’s committed to UCLA and already has several lucrative sponsorships from her massive social media following. (NBC 7)
- A jury awarded former San Diego City Prosecutor Marlea Dell’Anno nearly $4 million in a wrongful termination lawsuit. (10 News)
This Morning Report was written by Jesse Marx and Will Huntsberry. It was edited by Megan Wood.