OB Town Council Met in Muggy Masonic Center on Wednesday, July 26
By Brett Warnke
Vice-President Marcus Turner at helm of OB Town Council meeting. Jon Carr to his right and Keith Fink to his left.
On Wednesday, July 26th OB’s Town Council met in the muggy Masonic Center, though there was not much hot air from delighted grant recipients or special guest, 78th District’s Democratic Assemblyman Todd Gloria.
In President Gretchen Newsom‘s absence, newly-selected Vice-President Marcus Turner led the meeting before an audience of over 50 people.
Assemblyman and former interim-Mayor Gloria reaffirmed his belief in single-payer health care and said he believes housing is the most important issue facing the Assembly today.
Assemblymember Todd Gloria addresses crowd.
Gloria stated that Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer was unwilling to enforce laws on the books regarding the spiky issue of vacation-rentals and urged voters to apply pressure on the City Council to vote on this issue as well as code-violations they see throughout OB.
Wearing his broad San Diego smile above a gray suit and impeccably polished shoes, Gloria advocated a bit of citizen action. He urged local communities to protect themselves by addressing “the root cause” of the proliferation of vacation-rentals, which he stated were a symptom of higher housing-costs. Gloria pointed to the depletion of 14,000 people a year from high rents despite an overwhelming desire for communities to maintain homes instead of hotels.
“There is no organization called ‘Friends of the City’s Code Enforcement,’” Gloria said, as he described how that department as well as the city’s bus system endured cuts in the last recession and funding has not been restored.
Todd Gloria and OBTC Board member Jon Carr speak at the end of his presentation.
Gloria concluded his fifteen-minute discussion answering questions about the state Democrats failure to pass a state single-payer bill.
“The Speaker sent the bill back to legislators because it lacked a funding mechanism,” Gloria said. 2.9 million Californians remain uninsured.
Other news:
Money Still in Bank Even After All the Grants
The OBTC still has money in the bank, as treasurer Keith Fink announced – even after all the grants that were awarded: $21,358.
Winner of OBTC Logo Design Contest
The winner of the OBTC Logo Design Contest was announced, the top selection of 9 entries by 47% of the OBTC membership who voted online. The winning design had been submitted by Nicole Ueno, founder of local marketing firm Solimar Studio, and a member of the Board of the OBTC.
San Diego’s Police Department union will enter contract negotiations with the city this fall where the union will ask for more overtime pay, clashing with Mayor Faulconer’s proposed budget. San Diego currently has 50 fewer officers than in 2012 and will have less than 1,800 officers by the end of this month, the lowest level in the modern history of SDPD. This comes after a $140 million plan to increase the number of officers to 2,128.
OB’s Lifeguard News:
Lifeguard Sgt Lonnie Stephenson gave his department’s statistics for Ocean Beach during June:
- 131 water rescues;
- 312,000 visitors;
- 6,000 preventive actions;
- 70 medical assists; and
- 6 calls for service (usually meaning cliff rescues or ?)
Stephenson acknowledged the new lifeguard station at the foot of Santa Cruz Avenue, and reported the good job being done there, but also spoke of some younger lifeguards being “chased off their station” by local toughguys willing to take on 18-year olds.
In response to a question, Stephenson could not directly answer whether the water-rescue dispatch issue had been resolved, but did indicate that he personally understood that it had.
Representative of winner “Case for All Smiles” accepts grant award. Photo by Brett Warnke.
Community Grant Recipients
Each year the OB Town Council distributes grants to local organizations, groups, and persons that “promote the general betterment and beautification of Ocean Beach and the welfare of its residents.”
At last night’s July 26th Ocean Beach Town Council meeting, Vice-President Marcus Turner announced the winners of the Board’s Community Grants program.
So, here they are, (exempting two absences, and one more absent organization not listed):
Head librarian at OB Library, Matt Beatty. Photo by Brett Warnke.
“A Case for Smiles”
OB Public Library grant
OB Elementary School for garden
OB Families Association
OB Shuttle
OB CDC
OB Scholarship Fund
OB Historical Society
San Diego River Park Foundation
Peninsula Trees
Coastal Co-op kids (Absent)
Sunset Cliffs Surfing Association (Point Loma High School after-school program)
OB Lifeguards
Point Loma Surf Club
Ocean Beach Green Center
Peninsula Shepherd’s Center
OB Planning Board
OB Woman’s Club
Community grant recipients and OBTC Board members pose. From L to R: Mark Winkie, Marcus Turner, Priscella Turner, Virginia Wilson, unk, Matt Beatty, Alison Lyons, Keith Fink, Corey Bruins, unk, unk, Trudy Levenson, Jon Carr, Lonnie Stephenson, Craig Klein, unk, Colleen Dietzel, Julie Klein, Dave Martin, Katie Elsbree, Marin Green, Eric DuVall, Gio Ingolia, Nicole Ueno and Andrew Waltz. Photo by Brett Warnke
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