Four different responses to last week's email – all along the same lines:

Thank you, Councilmember Campillo! I especially appreciated your description of your responsible efforts to execute financially fair and prudent contracts for the city.  Not boring at all to us and our wallets! – Dan

Contract reform as you mention is worthwhile and necessary to protect tax dollars spending.  Not boring at all!

Having been a board member of an HOA for 20 years, I have to say how important it is to keep informed of contracts.  I appreciate your dedication to this issue and support you completely.    Both my husband and I are very pleased and grateful for the job you are doing!

The revisions to contracts will make a difference in managing inflation. Thanks! – Katherine

Who knew you all would find city contracts so interesting!? Seriously, thank you for the kind words – it’s clear how important good governance is to you all, just as it is to me. I’ll keep looking for these sorts of topics, where perhaps I can take a complex or less-known function of City government and break it down for you all here in the Raul Roundup.

Which brings me to...

This week, the City Council passed a second reading of long-awaited reforms to San Diego’s ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) program — and they include strong new caps to stop mega-projects in single family zones.

In recent years, we saw proposals for massive ADU projects squeezed onto single lots near canyons and wildfire-prone areas. That was a serious public safety concern.

Now, we’ve put reasonable size limits in place — no more than 4 to 6 units depending on your lot size — and new fire safety protections for our neighborhoods.

Pairing with those reforms, we’ve updated our fire severity zone map for the first time since 2007; in high fire severity zones, ADU projects will face stricter scrutiny and fire safety requirements.

These changes are wins for balanced growth and public safety. 

This past weekend, more than 500 kids and families came together in Linda Vista for the 9th Annual STEAM Youth & Community Conference at the University of San Diego.

Hosted by USD’s Jacobs Institute, the event was full of hands-on workshops in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math — from podcasting and Minecraft to creative paper-folding. It wrapped up two weeks of summer camps aimed at helping local students build new skills and confidence.

It’s great to see opportunities like this happening right here in District 7 — helping young people explore what’s possible and reminding them that their ideas and talents matter.

Peruvian food is finally getting the global spotlight it deserves — and The Peruvian Spot in Linda Vista is helping lead the charge right here in District 7.

A feature in San Diego Magazine this week highlights the bold, complex flavors of Peru — a cuisine shaped by Indigenous traditions and centuries of global influence, including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and African roots. From savory dishes like lomo saltado and tallarines verdes to handcrafted alfajores and manjar blanco, Peruvian food brings depth, diversity, and soul to the table.

The Peruvian Spot, founded by Silvana and Guillermo Carranza, is a local gem proudly representing that tradition. Earlier this year, our office visited another standout — Sanguchería Peruvian Street Food in Tierrasanta — during a small business outreach visit.

We’re proud to small businesses that enrich our neighborhoods and make District 7 a destination for global cuisine.