Ever since we broke the news that a huge data center might be built in downtown San Diego, local Democrats have been insisting its time to pump the breaks.
Thursday morning, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria posted a photo of himself signing an executive order that temporarily bans data centers on X.
“San Diego is putting clear rules in place before we allow data centers in our city,” he wrote.
San Diego Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera, Joe LaCava and Kent Lee gathered outside City Hall later that day announcing the proposal of a new city law that would place requirements on data centers built under their jurisdiction.
“We need more than a pause. We need laws in place to protect us from a tidal wave of harm,” Elo-Rivera said, citing his concerns that such projects raise utility bills for residents, and pollute the air and water.
The data center that sparked all this, if ever built, would be erected on federal land owned by the U.S. Navy on a site referred to as NAVWAR. The lawmakers acknowledged their actions Thursday wouldn’t be enough to halt what’s being explored by private developer, Manchester Financial Group.
“The city can’t stop this project on its own. Congress can,” Elo-Rivera said.
He urged San Diego’s congressional delegation to urge the Navy in writing to rule out a data center on the proposed redevelopment site of their 70 acres near the Midway District.
“Data centers… are the physical manifestation of so much we hate that is happening in the world right now,” Elo-Rivera said. “We will no longer sit idly by.”
Ex-County Contractor’s Husband Ensnared in Criminal Case
The criminal case against the ex-chief operating officer of a former county contractor just expanded to include her husband.
Jeff Knox, who is married to former Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego COO Amy Knox, entered not guilty pleas Thursday to 15 felony charges.
The charges against Jeff Knox include receiving stolen funds and embezzlement from the Harm Reduction Coalition. He’s also accused of stealing, filing false tax returns, mortgage fraud and knowingly receiving vacation packages that his wife secured to be auctioned off to support a different nonprofit she once helped lead.
An attorney for Amy Knox argues the charges against her husband are “thin and nonexistent.”
Refresher: Amy Knox is accused of spending public money on everything from plastic surgery to purebred dogs, allegedly forging an invoice to the county and mortgage fraud among other things. She has also pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The county in June 2025 canceled its contracts with the Harm Reduction Coalition to deploy an opioid overdose reversal drug and test drugs for deadly fentanyl.
South County Report: National City’s Cannabis Dilemma
Since National City leaders voted to legalize recreational cannabis sales in the city five years ago, they haven’t seen the return on investment that they’d hoped. Now, city leaders are grappling with how to turn things around.
In many other California cities, like Vista in North County, legalizing weed sales proved to be lucrative, but so far, National City hasn’t had that experience. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite.
So far, two cannabis companies have sued the city and sales have been sluggish, something city leaders weren’t really anticipating. The rise in illegal cannabis sales statewide is a contributing factor.
National City also crafted its rules so that dispensaries were required to open in a relatively out-of-the-way part of town. That definitely didn’t help.
Rather than allow new cannabis business, city leaders are grappling with how to help the ones that already exist.
Read the South County Report here.
Councilmember Floats Ousting Police Chief
When activists of the Working Families Party and Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera first announced an anti-Flock event at Barrio Logan’s Mujeres Brew House they didn’t have any concrete victories to celebrate. Oh, how the times have changed.
By Wednesday night, when attendees gathered in the bar’s back patio, a City Council committee had taken the first step toward cancelling the contract earlier that day by voting to advance a motion to the full Council.
Mayor Todd Gloria has pushed back hard on the effort, calling it a “mistake.” Should the Council approve the measure without a supermajority, Gloria may attempt to veto it.
Councilmember Henry Foster didn’t seem deterred by the pushback.
“If the mayor wants to veto, good luck, veto. But I think we have a very good shot at getting six votes,” Foster said.
San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl has also tried to rally support for Flock. In a statement, he wrote that removing the Flock system will “make it harder for our officers to solve crimes, find suspects and deliver justice for victims.”
“We’re gonna do what we need to do even if it means the police chief needs to go and retire early,” Foster said during the rally.
Asked after the meeting if he thought Wahl should be removed, Foster doubled down: “I have not seen the efforts to hold his officers accountable. If (Wahl) doesn’t hold them accountable, we need to make some change.”
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In Other News
- San Diego Councilmember Henry Foster went back and forth with the city’s firefighters union about a permanent fire station city leaders promised to build in Skyline Hills almost a decade ago. The union, which has endorsed Foster’s opponent Martha Abraham in the D4 City Council election, says Foster hasn’t done enough for the project to get it prioritized and funded. (Union-Tribune)
- Related: Our Mariana Martínez Barba previously wrote about the temporary fire station currently operating in Skyline Hills inside a giant tent. Read about it here. (Voice of San Diego)
- The Encinitas City Council voted Wednesday to sue the state of California over recently adopted legislation that prevents the city from removing a recently built protected bike lane on Santa Fe Drive for at least five years. (Union-Tribune)
- An environmental advocacy group is suing San Diego County, along with the developers of a project called Starlight Solar that the Board of Supervisors moved forward last month. The project is a solar and battery storage facility site in East County. (KPBS)
The Morning Report was written by MacKenzie Elmer, Mariana Martinez Barba, Lisa Halverstadt and Tigist Layne. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.