July 10, 2019

At the June Education and Workforce Roundtable meeting, members engaged in a lively discussion on child care facilities. Representatives from the Department of Social Services Child Care San Diego Office presented on child care licensing, highlighting the challenges in opening new facilities. Navy Region Southwest also presented on their child care needs, including their lack of facilities.

July 10, 2019

Mayor Faulconer signed the FY 2020 budget for the City of San Diego on June 20. The new budget significantly expands the “Clean SD” program to remove trash and debris from communities across the city. The budget also funds the largest infrastructure investment in City history while directing more funding toward homelessness, housing reforms, climate action, and road repair. Read the details.

July 10, 2019

At its July 9 meeting, of the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee heard from the Building Industry Association and the Raise the Balloon organization on SB 330 (Skinner): the Housing Crisis Act of 2019. SB 330 restricts actions by cities and counties that would reduce the production of housing. The bill states that for the next five years, local governments cannot initiate any new restrictions on housing production. If a proposal to build new housing meets existing zoning rules, that application must be processed quickly. The Chamber Public Policy Committee voted to support the bill. The bill then went to the Chamber Board of Directors at the July 25 meeting and the Board also voted to support the legislation.

July 10, 2019

On June 18, the Chamber’s Infrastructure, Housing, and Land Use Committee heard from Mayor Faulconer’s team on their strategy to establish permanent supportive housing. The Mayor identified eight city-owned properties, to spur development of roughly 200 new housing units. These permanent supportive housing sites would provide on-site assistance to seniors, veterans, and others who would otherwise struggle trying to live on their own. The Mayor identified sites in neighborhoods across the city to more broadly engage communities in addressing the housing crisis. The properties are located in six of the council’s nine districts and will be presented to council later this year.

July 10, 2019

On July 2, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority announced a new 10-year funding agreement between the Airport Authority and its airline partners. The commitment will facilitate an investment of a half-billion dollars into improving traffic congestion and transit options to the airport. The details will be approved as part of the larger Airport Development Plan which is moving forward through the public input process. On July 10, the U.S. Navy and SANDAG signed an agreement to explore options for the redevelopment of Naval Base Point Loma’s Old Town Complex. The signing of the agreement allows for the U.S. Navy and SANDAG to explore how a San Diego Grand Central Station concept might be part of a new and improved Navy facility, better connecting people to the airport via transit and providing the Navy with a modernized facility.

July 10, 2019

The Chamber is partnering with Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) to hold business outreach workshops on MTS’s potential ballot measure to increase funding for transit around the region. This is a rare opportunity for employers and employees to provide feedback on what kinds of transit projects they would like to see in a ballot measure.

The next workshop is on July 30 from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. at the Jacobs Center.

There will also be a workshop on August 12 with Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and co-hosted by BIOCOM at The Alexandria at Torrey Pines.