Dear Neighbor, 

Since becoming your mayor, I’ve made it one of my many missions to ensure every San Diegan, in every neighborhood, has access to quality parks and recreation spaces. Our “Parks for All of Us” initiative is helping make that a reality by creating new parks and improving existing ones across the city. Since I took office, we're on track to complete 98 park projects by 2025, compared to 75 park projects in the previous five years – that's a 31 % increase of new and upgraded park projects across the city!  

I’m especially excited about breaking ground on Beyer Park in San Ysidro after 50 years of promises. Thanks to funding from federal, state, and local partners, construction on this 8-acre park is under way and will bring much-needed green space, playgrounds, ball fields, and more to San Ysidro and Otay Mesa when it opens in spring of 2026. 

We’ve come a long way in our journey to create safe, accessible parks for all San Diegans, but there’s still more work to be done. I look forward to continuing our efforts to ensure every neighborhood has the services and amenities they deserve.  

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor. 

To effectively address homelessness in San Diego, we need to continue expanding shelter and services while we continue to build more affordable housing.

In addition to our evaluation of City-owned properties that could be put to use as shelter sites, we call on local property owners and managers to step up and help the City identify additional spaces for shelters. 

The City has issued a formal solicitation calling on property owners and managers to offer up potential locations that could be used as future shelter sites through a Request for Information (RFI). With the closure of some existing shelters in the coming years, it’s more important than ever to continue working hard to find permanent and expanded capacity for those in need. 

I have already increased shelter beds by more than 930 in the past year, bringing the total to over 2,500. But some were meant to serve as temporary sites while we worked on a long-term sites and more shelter space is needed to meet demand. That’s why we’ve issued the RFI to explore more opportunities for shelter sites, whether for purchase or lease. 

If you are a property owner or manager, I encourage you to submit available properties for evaluation today. The City will consider a range of building types, from smaller non-congregate facilities to larger congregate shelters, with safety and security being top priorities. 

In addition to expanding shelters, the City is focused on successful programs like Safe Sleeping and Safe Parking, which have served over 2,500 people in the past year. By continuing to collaborate with property owners and managers, we aim to create more safe, stable spaces for San Diegans in need. 

Submissions for potential shelter locations are due by Oct. 7, 2024. For more information, email ShelterRFI@sandiego.gov. 

The City of San Diego’s Safe Sidewalks Program has reached a major milestone with nearly 100 sidewalk repair projects approved since its launch last year. 

This program has been a game-changer, eliminating fees and streamlining the process for property owners to repair damaged sidewalks in front of their homes, saving them up to $2,100 per project. As part of the program, $300,000 is allocated annually to fund sidewalk repairs in underserved communities, and the City’s in-house team has already completed 30 repairs in these areas. 

By allowing for self-certification and waiving permit fees, we’re making it easier and more affordable for residents to address damaged sidewalks, keeping neighborhoods safe for all. Property owners can now quickly repair issues while avoiding potential liabilities due to injuries or property damage caused by sidewalk hazards. 

This program is essential, but it’s just one part of a larger effort to improve the City’s 4,550 miles of sidewalks, many of which have surpassed their useful lifespan. In Fiscal Year 2024, the City completed more sidewalk work than any other year on record.  

Our goal remains clear: create safer, more accessible sidewalks for all. 

The City is making significant strides in helping shape state legislation to address critical issues impacting our local community. 

I’m excited to share that seven of the 12 bills we sponsored this year were approved by the State Legislature. One was already signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, and another six are awaiting his signature. 

These bills represent our ongoing commitment to tackling homelessness, environmental sustainability, enhancing infrastructure, and creating safer communities.

Here’s what’s already been signed into law: 

• SB 1361 (Blakespear): This legislation streamlines CEQA requirements for homelessness service contracts, expediting the delivery of critical shelter and services.  

And here are the six bills now on the governor’s desk: 

• SB 1072 (Padilla): Ensures local agencies maintain certainty over water rates, safeguarding access to essential resources. 

• SB 689 (Blakespear): Simplifies the permitting process for building bike lanes in coastal zones, helping promote sustainable transportation. 

• AB 3227 (Alvarez): Streamlines the CEQA process for stormwater channel maintenance, allowing for more efficient flood prevention measures. 

• AB 2501 (Alvarez): Authorizes local water boards to accept funding from public agencies, enhancing a city’s ability to manage stormwater projects. 

• AB 3024 (Ward): Prohibits hate-motivated littering, reinforcing San Diego’s stance against hate and intolerance. 

• SB 1238 (Eggman): Expands reimbursement for substance use disorder treatment, addressing a vital aspect of public health.

These bills represent our region’s proactive leadership in ensuring a safer, better future for all residents. 

I look forward to seeing these measures signed into law and working alongside our state partners to continue making progress. 

The City of San Diego just began an update to its Bicycle Master Plan. We are inviting you to visit our new website to learn about the plan update and provide feedback. 

On this website, you'll find information about the project background, its timeline, a fact sheet and interactive tools so you can provide your input. These tools are: 

• Interactive Feedback Map: Please use the map's markers to show us where you think the current bicycle system works, needs improvement or has barriers to using it.  

• Interactive Trip Map: You can also show us where you typically begin and end your bike rides so that we get a sense of the journeys you're making. 

• Quick Online Surveys: Respond to these quick surveys so that we can learn more about you, your bicycle use, and your perspective about the City’s bicycle infrastructure. 

The surveys and maps will be open for input through Tuesday, Sept. 10. 

Your opinion matters to us and will help us prepare a plan that is informed by the community. For questions, please contact sustainability@sandiego.gov. 

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department is gearing up for the summer of 2025 by recruiting seasonal lifeguards. Swim tryouts are scheduled for Sept. 12, 13, 14, Oct. 10, 11, 12, and Jan. 16, 17, 18, 2025, at 8 a.m. at Ventura Cove. 

To qualify for an interview, candidates must swim 500 meters in under 10 minutes. 

With over 40 miles of shoreline to patrol, SDFD lifeguards are essential to ensuring the safety of millions of visitors. Interested candidates should apply online two weeks before their tryout date.