City continues to work on solutions

By Sherri Lightner

Thank you to everyone in the city of San Diego for your commitment to reducing water consumption. Water usage in June 2009 was down 19 percent citywide compared with last year. We are working to find innovative, long-term solutions to reduce our water use and increase our supply.

On July 27, I issued a memo proposing some ideas, including suggestions from our District 1 constituents. The memo is posted on our Web site, www.sandiego.gov/cd1. Please continue to let us know your ideas for water conservation and supply.

On July 20, the Superior Court ordered the city to begin dispersing the seals. The same day, the governor signed SB428 into law, which allows the Children’s Pool to be used as a marine mammal park. The judge set aside his order to disperse the seals for now due to the new state legislation. The Superior Court’s next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6.

We will continue to work with the community on this issue. We’ve held three community forums regarding the Children’s Pool, and we are working on ideas to incorporate expert consultation on the future management of the Children’s Pool.

In late July, the City Council voted to endorse San Diego Gas & Electric Co.’s plan to shut off power to the backcountry in the event of high fire danger. I voted against this plan because it’s inadequate for keeping fires from starting in the backcountry and spreading, and because I was concerned that the plan would reduce SDG&E’s liability. We need to hold SDG&E to a higher standard than the plan that was approved in order to better protect our neighborhoods. SDG&E did not show that the risks associated with their plan, including increased risk of fire from generators, as well as the loss of power to water pumps and communication devices, outweighed the plan’s unconfirmed benefits.

In other news from City Hall, I support efforts to reform the Ethics Commission appointment process. Because of potential conflicts of interest, the council and mayor should not appoint people to this committee.

We look forward to hearing from you! Please call us at (619) 236-6611 or e-mail us at

sherrilightner@sandiego.gov

if we may be of assistance.