The San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO as it’s often referred to, is a big deal. The agency is responsible for managing where public agencies’ and governments’ boundaries begin and end, and adjudicating when special districts can be created and what public services they can offer.
It’s a seemingly dull purview, but it has real stakes, like in the high-profile water divorce we spilled plenty of ink on last year. And in recent years, LAFCO has been flexing its muscles, becoming more willing to take on agencies its previously left alone.
Enter Palomar Health: The healthcare district that operates Palomar Medical Centers in Escondido and Poway, and has been facing some big challenges and changes. Most recently, it partnered with a nonprofit company to take on management responsibilities for Palomar’s executive staff.
It all seemed like settled business. But an unexpected comment at a LAFCO Commission meeting from an attorney who helped craft the new management structure at Palomar may set the agencies on a path toward conflict.
San Diego City Council May End Virtual Comments at Meetings
The San Diego City Council is set to consider scrapping virtual comments at its meetings. Council President Sean Elo-Rivera proposed the change, which the council’s Rules Committee will consider on Wednesday, inewsource reports. City Council has allowed virtual comments via platforms like Zoom for years, ever since the pandemic forced meetings online for a period.
The council would still accept written comments under the proposal, but in a statement Elo-Rivera wrote his office had put forth the change to ensure “San Diegans can be confident business is done with the pace and efficiency they deserve.” A rise in profanity and instances of racist language at local public meetings documented by other local outlets is also likely driving the proposal.
The move is not unprecedented. Other governments across the state have instituted similar changes in recent years. Still, some free speech advocates argue the proposal may be a move in the wrong direction and away from transparency and accountability.
“We certainly disagree with anything that reduces opportunity for the public to observe, monitor, and engage with their elected representatives,” David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition told inewsource.
Song of the Week
There’s a dark, foreboding sense to many of Quali’s songs that borders on meditative. See the gorgeous, lethargic sparseness of “Stalker,” on the band’s latest album “When the Dark Presses,” for a prime example. But Quali is also not afraid to dial up the distortion and play with the loud-quiet-loud dynamic The Pixies perfected, like on the bewitching track “Eraser.”
Quali, “Slow”: While many of Quali’s tracks can have a deliberate, plodding tempo, ironically, “Slow,” is one of the faster songs on the band’s latest album. Vocalist and guitarist Isaiah Nery has long known exactly how to build songs that wrap around his delicate, whispered vocals like a cocoon. “Slow,” with its bursts of distortion-fueled chaos, is no different.
Listen to the song of the week here.
Like what you hear? Check out Quali at Sod Bar on Tuesday, July 30.
Do you have a “Song of the Week” suggestion? Shoot us an email and a sentence or two about why you’ve been bumping this song lately. Friendly reminder: all songs should be by local artists.
In Other News
- Following a marathon meeting that ended with a delayed decision on the proposed mega-shelter lease, Mayor Todd Gloria sent a memo to city councilmembers requesting they share “specific items to prioritize in additional discussions” with the city’s potential landlord by the end of the day today. A City Council majority earlier this week agreed to consider a revised version of the lease next Tuesday – pending updates from Gloria’s team and the City Attorney’s Office.
- Comic-Con doesn’t kick off until Wednesday night, but already the city’s buildings have come to life with colorful wraps. The Union-Tribune reports that there are more wraps than ever, which are technically illegal.
- KPBS followed up with Solutions for Change, the nonprofit selected to purchase a ranch in Vista, on what’s next for the site.
The Morning Report was written by Jakob McWhinney and Lisa Halverstadt.