Morning Report: Campbell, Lukacs Headed to November Runoff 

Councilwoman Jen Campbell has easily advanced to a November runoff in her re-election bid.

She will now face Republican Linda Lukacs to continue representing District 2, which covers most of the city’s coastal area.

Lukacs, a dentist, did not have a high profile coming into the race and barely had a campaign, raising just over $12,000 throughout the race. A swell of spending came in on her behalf, though, after ballots were mailed to voters.

That spending, though, came from a political action committee funded by Campbell supporters who sought to knock former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña, a Democrat, out of the race because they saw her as a bigger threat to Campbell’s re-election in November.

Campbell was winning 30.4 percent of the vote, while Lukacs had 25.3 percent, as of Thursday afternoon’s update. Saldaña, and Democrat Joel Day, took 18.3 percent and 13.3 percent of the vote, respectively.

Read more about the race here. 

San Diego’s Cities Adopt Stricter Water Use Rules

San Diego cities are starting to fall in line with state orders that water suppliers step-up water conservation efforts as California slips deeper into drought at the start of the summer. 

Hydrologically speaking, San Diego’s soils, air and vegetation are severely parched. But the region’s water wholesaler, San Diego County Water Authority, maintains the southwesternmost corner of the state has plenty of water supplies. That’s true, on paper, but now it’s up to local water sellers (there are 24 of them in San Diego) to see to it that people are even more conscientious with every drop. 

That’s why the city of San Diego announced Thursday water use moved to what’s known as Level 2 of a six-level water shortage action plan. 

“Although (San Diego County Water Authority) has determined that the region’s water supply is currently stable, the dire drought in Northern California and throughout the West requires all water customers to help reduce water use,” the city of San Diego’s press release reads. 

The city actually has permanent and mandatory water restrictions in place – things like letting your sprinkler leak onto the sidewalk, or washing down a driveway are always prohibited. 

New restrictions include a three-days-per-week limit on irrigating landscaping and it can happen before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m., which are the cooler portions of the day when water is less conditioned to evaporate. Golf courses, commercial growers or nurseries are exempt from this, however.

And absolutely no washing your own car at your house, which is bad for the environment anyway. Commercial car washes are there for a reason (because all the scum, soap, oil and grease will run to the storm drain, which runs straight to the ocean). 

Poway’s water district voted earlier this week to adopt similar stricter water use rules. Vallecitos Water District Board moved to Level 2 drought restrictions back in April.

Council President Pushing Pilot to Help Renters Keep Their Homes

Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said Thursday he’ll push to add a pilot program to support San Diegans who’d otherwise fall short on rent to the city’s budget when the City Council votes on the spending plan on Monday.

If approved, the pilot program would provide monthly rental subsidies of up to $500 for up to 24 months and target seniors, families with children, people with disabilities and youth up to 25 years old.

In a report issued Wednesday, the city’s Office of the Independent Budget Analyst recommended including $3.6 million in the city budget to serve about 300 households via the so-called Housing Stability Fund, as requested by most councilmembers.

The rental subsidy proposal that Elo-Rivera has been rallying behind for months wasn’t included in the mayor’s initial or revised budget though eight councilmembers voiced their support for it.Elo-Rivera said he thinks revenues that are coming in higher than initially projected should make it feasible for the City Council to bake the new program into their budget.

“What I’m confident my colleagues and I will do is make responsible adjustments to the budget that will go forward to the mayor and we’ll see what he thinks of those,” Elo-Rivera said.

Elo-Rivera, who also successfully pushed for a no-fault eviction moratorium earlier this year, said Thursday he is convinced the city needs to step up its efforts to prevent homelessness. 

In Other News 

• With access to public restrooms severely lacking citywide, the city of San Diego plans to install portable restrooms outfitted with a handwashing station and a nighttime security guard in exchange for locking a problem downtown bathroom on 6th Avenue and Thorn Street. (CBS 8)
• CalMatters investigates where billions in pandemic stimulus funding landed among the state’s school districts. Some spent it on laptops, another on an ice cream truck. In San Diego, a $52 million, no-bid COVID testing contract. We’re raising eyebrows over here. 
• In the world of future ballot measures, we’ve got two: KPBS reports that San Diego City Council’s Rules Committee recommended the full council back a measure in November to nix the controversial People’s Ordinance, which exempts some homeowners from having to pay for trash pickup. And the Union-Tribune reported voters will probably get another chance to vote on lifting the 30-foot building height limit in San Diego’s Midway District, a change voters already approved in 2020. 

The Morning Report was written by MacKenzie Elmer and Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. 

Correction: This post was updated with information on water use restrictions. Those include a three-days-per-week limit on irrigating landscaping and it can happen before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.