The chief information officer for the Metropolitan Transit System claims the agency has retaliated against her because of her lack of cooperation in the wake of the scandal involving MTS’s former chairman, Nathan Fletcher, and a public relations employee, Grecia Figueroa.
The CIO, Emily Outlaw, filed a claim with the agency in late November that serves as a warning she and her attorney, Dan Gilleon, are going to file a lawsuit. Outlaw claims the agency’s managers misled the public about when they had learned about Figueroa’s accusations that Fletcher had assaulted and harassed her.
“Despite having known about Ms. Fugueroa’s allegations for several weeks, MTS enlisted Ms. Outlaw’s IT Department in its efforts to misinform the public about its prior knowledge, and to illegally search Ms. Figueroa’s private communications,” wrote Gilleon on a claim form, which must be filed before a formal lawsuit against a government agency can go forward.
Voice obtained the form late Tuesday and will seek reaction from MTS today.
Mayor’s Housing Package Sails Through After Rejection Weeks Ago
Nearly a month after slamming the brakes on Mayor Todd Gloria’s housing package, San Diego’s City Council approved it in a 7-1 vote. Councilmembers ironed out their differences over some critical points that held the package up the first time.
Gloria’s Housing Action Package 2.0, in general, makes it easier to build dorm-like student housing near transit centers and colleges, encourages the creation of single-room occupancy units and touches on several aspects of housing development.
Here are the crucial amendments that were added to bring more councilmembers on board this time around:
- The housing plan will now keep development fee waivers for micro-units under 500 sq. ft. — which had originally been on the chopping block. It will also allow for development fee waivers on three-bedroom units, but those units will be deed-restricted to families making 150 percent of area median income.
- Gloria’s plan also included changes to one local housing law known as Complete Communities. Currently, anyone who utilizes the plan to get added density on a development, must build a certain amount of mandated-affordable units on-site. Gloria had proposed allowing these units to be built off-site in neighborhoods, in some cases, that were more low-income than where the original development was being built. That change survived. But now, in cases where a developer wants to build in a “moderate” income neighborhood the off-site units will have to be within three miles or the same community planning district as the original development.
Councilmembers took note of how “messy” and “challenging” the discussion became last time.
Catch up: We wrote about how Council President Sean Elo-Rivera got candid about the influence of development money in the city’s legislative process. Those comments shook some of the councilmembers who made sure to bring them up at last week’s council president selection meeting.
The vibes on Tuesday were different. Gloria and Council President Sean Elo-Rivera had already announced last month that the package would include amendments — Tuesday was the first day the public saw the changes.
“The lack of affordable housing is central to many of our City’s top challenges, particularly homelessness and sky-high rents,” Gloria said in a statement. “This series of reforms will boost the supply of homes and reduce the cost of housing, help our businesses recruit and retain talent and put more hard-earned dollars back into the pockets of everyday San Diegans.”
Councilwoman Jen Campbell was the lone no vote.
In other city housing news: The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to name Lisa Jones the city housing agency’s new CEO. Jones, who had been the San Diego Housing Commission’s executive vice president, is the agency’s new leader effective today. Jones’ appointment follows a national search and the February 2022 resignation of former Housing Commission CEO Rick Gentry. Jeff Davis, a longtime agency executive, has served as interim CEO since spring 2022.
Safe Camping Sites, by the Numbers
Our Lisa Halverstadt asked the city for an update on how many people its safe-sleeping sites were hosting. The mayor’s office responded that 432 individuals are staying in 360 separate tents in the city of San Diego’s two safe-sleeping sites in Balboa Park.
The breakdown: Ninety tents are at 20th and B with 119 people and 270 tents are providing shelter for 313 people at O Lot.
Suit Alleging Rape Against Former SDSU Football Player Dropped
Former San Diego State University punter and NFL hopeful Matt Araiza has been dropped from a lawsuit accusing him of rape.
The civil lawsuit was filed in August 2022 by a then-17-year-old girl who accused Araiza and other SDSU football players of raping her at an off-campus party in October 2021.
In return for dismissing her complaint against Araiza, he will drop his defamation countersuit against her.
The County District Attorney’s office announced it wouldn’t be pursuing charges against Araiza or the other players a few months after the girl’s lawsuit was filed.
Related: After the lawsuit was filed last year, SDSU faced backlash for how it handled the investigation. Our managing editor, Andrea Lopez-Villafaña wrote about why the university’s critics were disappointed with its response. Read that story here.
In Other News
- Despite facing criminal charges, Chula Vista Councilwoman Andrea Cardenas does not plan on giving up her seat on the Council and is planning on running for a second term. The Union-Tribune reported Tuesday that a new poll shows some residents want her to resign and drop her re-election bid. Read more about the findings here.
- Planning to travel for the holidays? Here’s what to expect. (Union-Tribune)
- The king tides are coming. NBC 7 has details on when and where to catch them.
- CNN named a San Diego veterinarian as a “Hero of the Year” for 2023. Dr. Kwane Stewart provides free pet care to pets that belong to unhoused individuals. (Fox 5)
The Morning Report was written by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, Will Huntsberry, Lisa Halverstadt and Tigist Layne. It was edited by Scott Lewis.
“… MTS enlisted Ms. Outlaw’s IT Department in its efforts to misinform the public about its prior knowledge, and to illegally search Ms. Figueroa’s private communications…”
but there’s nothing about the alleged retaliation against Ms. Outlaw. do i hafta go to the U-T for details??