Chula Vista almost took a peek into its future on Tuesday.
Late into a marathon City Council meeting that lasted nearly five hours, patient city staff members, along with an equally patient outside consultant, geared up to present a new strategic plan for the city more than a year in the making.
The 25-page draft plan features a laundry list of goals and possible new policies that will set city leaders’ priorities for the next five years.
The plan touches just about everything in Chula Vista’s 50 square miles: Roads, sidewalks, libraries, parks, sewers, storm drains, senior centers, police, fire, business districts. And on and on.
As you might expect in a city whose 281,000 residents have strong opinions about where they live, the questions started before the consultant who helped draft the plan even got to the first proposal.
I was reminded of Supreme Court hearings, where justices cut into lawyers’ presentations and no one (except the justices) gets to talk for more than a minute or two.
Councilmember Jose Preciado got things started, questioning just about every statement the consultant (Kimberly Garrett from the Centre for Organization Effectiveness) made.
Preciado even objected to calling Chula Vista “exceptional.” Every city says it’s exceptional, Preciado pointed out. (He later asked for forgiveness when he used the word “exceptional” in one of his own comments.)
The questions rolled on until finally Councilmember Cesar Fernandez spoke up and said, “We could be here all night.”
Given the late hour, Fernandez made the sensible suggestion to schedule a future workshop dedicated solely to the strategic plan. That would give councilmembers and the public more time to comb through the plan and weigh in, Fernandez said.
Mayor John McCann immediately teed up a vote. A few minutes later, the discussion was over, to be continued at an as-yet-to-be-determined date.
So, you ask, what’s in the plan? You can examine it yourself here. Or, dear reader, you can read my summary. I slog through these meetings so you don’t have to.
The plan sets four main goals, which basically boil down to:
- Upgrade city infrastructure.
- Improve public safety and residents’ quality of life (parks, libraries, etc.).
- Grow the economy and provide more jobs.
- Make government work better.
There’s a lot of bureaucratese. The interesting parts are what the plan calls “major initiatives.” Those are actual projects the city aims to pursue over the next five years.
There are dozens of initiatives, too many to list here. A few highlights:
- Complete the new Millenia Library.
- Look into building a new police substation and senior center on the city’s east side.
- Develop a public works (i.e. roads, storm drains, etc.) master plan.
- Expand access to the city’s homeless shelter.
- Complete a citywide economic development plan.
- Pursue removal of tolls on State Route 125.
- Expand offerings at the city’s planned four-year university.
- Revitalize Broadway.
- Adopt an outdoor dining ordinance.
- Launch a new, easier-to-use city website.
- Develop a program of internal audits of city government.
The entire document merits a close read. I’ll be on the lookout for that future workshop.
Until then, Chula Vista, stay exceptional.
ICYMI: The Chula Vista City Council also had a surprise for watchers of the ongoing redevelopment saga at Rohr Park. After parks officials initially said plans for upgrading the regional park did not require extensive environmental review, Councilmembers on Tuesday voted to authorize spending up to $450,000 for a consultant to conduct an environmental analysis of the proposed park plan. (The new spending also includes additional planning work at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.) The environmental review will take a while, giving everyone plenty of time to continue arguing about the future of Rohr Park.
National City Eyes New Business Tax
National City on Tuesday joined the ranks of San Diego public agencies on the hunt for revenue this year.
The City Council voted unanimously to begin researching and crafting a possible November ballot measure that would ask voters whether the city should raise more money from businesses by taxing business licenses.
Councilmembers on Tuesday discussed a recently commissioned study that found National City collects less licensing revenue per business than many other cities in San Diego County. Cities such as Chula Vista, Escondido and Oceanside collect up to four times more licensing revenue per business, the study found.
The study also found National City’s largest businesses get a bargain on business licenses.
According to the study, the city’s top 100 businesses generate roughly 58 percent of all business revenue in the city but pay only 29 percent of the total amount collected in license fees.
“They aren’t paying their fair share,” said City Councilmember Marcus Bush.
Bush said with the city facing a multimillion-dollar deficit, leaders need to identify new sources of revenue. The licensing fee disparity, he said, is an obvious opportunity.
The proposed ballot measure would change the way the city collects business license fees. Currently, the city charges a flat fee with a few variations depending on business size.
The new method would impose a tax calculated as a percentage of total annual business revenue. An alternative proposal also would divide businesses into categories and charge different rates depending on the kind of business.
According to the study councilmembers discussed Tuesday, the city could generate up to $750,000 in additional licensing revenue per year by shifting to a new taxation method.
Everyone likes more money, but some councilmembers seemed unenthusiastic about the new tax.
Mayor Ron Morrison expressed doubt about voters’ willingness to back a tax at a time when costs are high and trust in public institutions (including National City’s fractious City Council) is low.
Councilmember Ditas Yamane worried about overburdening city businesses.
In the end, councilmembers opted to move forward. They likely will review final options next month and decide whether to present the tax for a November vote.
In Other News
- Seventh graders at San Ysidro Middle School this morning got a taste of the capitalist grind when they participated in a school-sponsored internship day at the Las Americas Premium Outlets mall. Students learned retail basics and gained first-hand experience in the all-American art of selling stuff. The internship program is part of the San Ysidro School District’s efforts to prepare students for careers as they near high school.
- The San Diego Air Pollution Control District late last week postponed a vote to regulate diesel pollution and other harmful emissions from warehousing operations near the Port of San Diego and the Otay Mesa border crossing. District governing board members said they need more time to study the issue and hear from the public before voting on regulations.
- San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre donned her tour guide hat again this week, hosting former Los Angeles mayor and current California gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa on a tour of pollution problems in the sewage-laden Tijuana River. Villaraigosa also visited nearby Smythe Elementary School, where he heard about the effects of sewage pollution on elementary school students.
- inewsource this week reported on budget problems in the Sweetwater Union High School District. The district joins the ranks of other financially struggling South County school districts.
- The Chula Vista City Council on Tuesday authorized an agreement with San Diego State University to begin offering a nursing bachelor’s degree program at the city’s new Millenia Library. (Union-Tribune)
- Southwestern College District Trustee Robert Moreno will hold what he said is the district’s first office hours session at which students and other members of the public can meet informally with a district trustee and ask questions or share concerns. Moreno said he will be available from 2-5 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in Room 7101 F at the National City Higher Education Center on National City Boulevard.
- I didn’t have room for this one last week, but it’s pretty cool. The Port of San Diego last month commissioned Chula Vista’s Marine Group Boat Works to build a shipboard fire simulator for training first responders in fighting maritime fires. The simulator will include cabins, passageways and other features of ship interiors – all of which can be set on fire during training exercises.