A huge win for the safety of children in San Diego

Keeping our children and others safe in our community remains my top priority as a City Councilmember. This week, the City Council approved my proposed e-bike regulations. Backed by health care providers, law enforcement, and community members, this policy will implement state law to its fullest extent to keep our community safe.

The e-bike regulations will increase safety for children and reduce reckless riding by:

Imposing an age limit of 12 years for class 1 and 2 e-bikes (state law prohibits restrictions on 12 year olds and above).

Reinforcing helmet requirements and passenger restrictions (passengers are only allowed if the e-bike is specifically designed to accommodate multiple riders with a permanent second seat).

Providing the option for cited individuals to complete an e-bike safety course in lieu of a $25 fine.

Requiring 30-day public outreach before enforcement.

Establish a 60-day warning period before citations are issued.

The e-bike regulations will go into effect 30 days after the second reading of the ordinance on July 7, 2026. I’ve been frequently asked if there is more that we can do – at this time, we are regulating to the limit that California law will allow us. This pilot program, led by the State, intends to collect data and assess the safety impacts of e-bike regulations.

Unanimous approval of my illegal cannabis delivery regulation

Another one of my policies passed City Council this week: reforms aimed at cracking down on illegal cannabis delivery companies that fail to pay their taxes.

In developing this policy, my staff investigated whether bad behavior was prevalent and preventable.

So, when my staff member observed cannabis from a dispensary not permitted to operate in the City of San Diego, being delivered to City Hall (a government facility, which is absolutely not allowed), we knew this type of illegal activity was blatant and began to work on a solution.

If you’d like to get into the details on how my policy will address these kinds of illegal delivery services, you can find a great comprehensive article by San Diego Union-Tribune’s David Garrick here. The overview is that, through this unanimously passed policy, the City will require anyone entering the City to deliver cannabis to have a permit and follow all laws. If they don’t, they will be held accountable by the City, or in court.

Port-a-potty spotted at Lake Murray

Earlier this year, the very first question at my Navajo Town Hall was: where is the port-a-potty at Lake Murray? And I assured you that I was working on it – I knew, just as you did, that a port-a-potty at Lake Murray is a necessity for public health, accessibility, and overall wellbeing for those who want to spend extended time walking the trails, watching their kids play ball at the field, or biking around the lake.

This week, a few of you sent me pictures of the port-a-potty we recently worked with Supervisor Joel Anderson and the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department to fund and install.

I am so proud to deliver the big and small things to our community. All of it is important to you, and therefore all of it is important to me. Big thanks to Supervisor Joel Anderson for providing the funding for this portable restroom and thank you to the Parks and Recreation Department for prioritizing this project.

Need weekend plans? Visit the San Carlos Farmers Market

Is it crazy to say that San Diego has the best farmers markets in the country? The network continues to grow and, in the last year, expanded to our very own San Carlos.

The San Carlos Farmers Market is every 4th Sunday of the month, which means you have the opportunity to check it out this weekend. It’s at 7849 Tommy Drive, San Diego, CA 92119 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features a wide range of food, drinks, vendors, and activities. This week, several new vendors will be there for you to meet and shop from.

For a full list of vendors and activities and more details, visit their Instagram page here.

An update on youth wellbeing in San Diego

As the champion of our Office of Child and Youth Success, I am always listening closely to the feedback from them and their partner organizations. Recently, the Policy & Innovation Center, in partnership with San Diego Foundation, the Office of Child and Youth Success, and Prebys Foundation, shared a comprehensive review to answer the sweeping question: how are young San Diegans doing?

This report touches on a lot of indicators, ranging from education to nutrition security to racial equity to public health. You can read the full report here, but I will leave some major takeaways below.

High school graduation rates are up

Youth homelessness rose and the Policy Center recommends investments in youth workforce pipelines

Covid depressed educational markers, disproportionately for minority groups

Sincerely,