After a string of January fires tied to homeless camps, County Supervisor Jim Desmond wants the county to clear encampments in high-risk fire areas when red-flag warnings are in effect.
Desmond will urge fellow supervisors to vote Tuesday to direct county officials to identify high-risk zones in unincorporated areas the county oversees with “significant” homeless camps and prioritize removing those.
Desmond’s push follows the devastating Los Angeles fires and San Diego Fire-Rescue’s recent confirmation that January fires in Rancho Bernardo and near both Fashion Valley mall and UC San Diego were sparked by homeless camps. His request also comes amid delayed county discussions about a camping ban.
In a Monday video posted on X, Desmond said his goal is “to stop the potential of having any fires spreading and becoming large wildfires that harm a lot of people.”
John Brady, who leads an advocacy group of homeless and formerly homeless San Diegans, said his organization opposes Desmond’s proposal which he argued is an unrealistic response to a problem fueled by camping bans that are forcing homeless residents into unsafe environments.
“These are the sad unintended but predicted consequences of the actions taken by municipalities in an effort to hide the homeless or force them into non-existent resources,” Brady said.
Another fiery agenda item: Desmond will also ask fellow board members to support state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones’ bill aiming to ensure counties and cities have say-so over proposed private battery storage facilities. ICYMI: After a trio of high-profile battery fires in San Diego, the county’s fire chief set strict rules on battery storage projects. Our MacKenzie Elmer wrote about that move and its implications late last year.
Federal Funding Cuts Hitting the County
Update: An earlier version of this post mentioned Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s proposal to explore potential options for a tax increase at Tuesday’s board meeting. The item was pulled ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
At a Monday briefing, County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer warned that federal funding freezes are already affecting the county.
As City News Service reports, Lawson-Remer revealed that conflicting orders have created a swirl of questions around more than $30 million the Centers for Disease Control previously earmarked for local programs. The supervisor also said some federal housing grants have also been paused.
“We need clarity from Washington so that we can continue delivering essential services without disruption,” Lawson-Remer said. “The county will continue to advocate for our residents but if federal leaders do not change course San Diegans should be prepared to see service reductions.”
She warned that more hits could be coming and released this breakdown of county uncertainties over federal funding.
On a related note: Lawson-Remer has recently floated asking fellow supervisors to hire consultants to review options for a potential tax increase to help address an impending county budget deficit that could worsen amid federal policy shifts. Axios broke the news on the planned discussion, which has now been postponed twice. A spokesperson for Lawson-Remer said her team decided to pursue additional discussions before proceeding with any formal actions.
Also on Monday: CBS 8 reported that protestors gathered outside the county Administration Building to oppose potential cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs that the county manages locally.
Two Months Into Proposition 36, Drug Cases Dominate
Two months after Proposition 36 took effect in San Diego, the Union-Tribune reveals that new drug cases are far outpacing the retail theft ones that most fueled the campaign for harsher penalties for repeat offenders.
The newspaper reported that there have been nearly three drug cases filed for every retail theft case, a trend that isn’t surprising law enforcement officials who note that drug arrests have long outpaced theft arrests. The U-T also found that nearly all defendants were extensive repeat offenders, jailed ahead of their arraignments and then released on their own recognizance.
District Attorney Summer Stephan, who rallied behind Proposition 36, told the U-T that addressing drug treatment needs tied to the surge in drug cases is “a work in progress.”
Stephan said just over half of the 53 people who pleaded guilty to Proposition 36 drug cases as of last week had agreed to drug treatment.
Reminder: The county has a shortage of residential drug treatment options for people with Medi-Cal insurance. The county’s behavioral health services director previously told Voice of San Diego that he expected Proposition 36 to increase demand for these programs. The county and providers have been working to try to increase treatment offerings but new beds and slots can’t come fast enough for those in desperate need.
We’re Here to Help
Did you download the A Parent’s Guide to San Diego Schools and now have a ton of questions about after-school care, test score data and more?
We’ve got you. We’re hosting a guide workshop today at San Diego State University’s Women’s Resource Center at 1 p.m. Our reporters and editors will be there to answer all your questions about the guide and San Diego’s schools.
If you can’t make it, visit our website for upcoming events.
In Other News
- An egg rancher in Lakeside is doing everything possible to keep his chickens healthy, and alive, as an avian influenza outbreak continues to wreak havoc on egg-laying birds and egg prices. The rancher told the Union-Tribune he’s doing everything he can to protect his 30,000 chickens, but he also knows there’s nothing he can do if they get sick.
- How much should the city charge for trash collection? The city of San Diego is hosting a series of forums for residents to provide input on how much the city should charge for trash collection. The first forum happened yesterday, but here’s a list of upcoming meetings. (Fox 5)
- San Diego environmental justice organizations are worried about the future of the federal grants they’ve received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for initiatives in Barrio Logan and San Ysidro. (Union-Tribune)
- Authorities are still searching for a 53-year-old woman suspected of fatally stabbing her wife, Rebecca “Becky” Marodi on Feb. 17. Marodi was a fire captain with CAl Fire and lived in Ramona. (NBC 7)
- Reading Cinemas Town Square is closing its doors for good. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.
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