San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo here: happy Friday!

Welcome to this week's Raul Roundup, your go-to source for the latest news, updates, and insights from our community and City Hall. Here’s what’s been going on this week:

ADU Limits Are Now Law, Restoring Neighborhood Safety and Integrity

This week, the City Council took action to finally set some guardrails around San Diego’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) program – reflecting common sense and real progress for a program that was out-of-control. Among many key issues, we set a cap of six maximum ADUs per lot—I voted for an amendment to lower the cap, but ultimately the majority of the council approved a cap of six, lower than the original recommendation of eight. It is important to note that cap is for lots bigger than 10,000 square feet of developable space. Most lots in District 7 are between 5,000 and 8,000 square feet and will be restricted to four ADUs maximum.

The package of reforms we ended up with balances real concerns about safety, infrastructure, and community character with the urgent need for housing. These changes ensure the ADU program stays true to its intended purpose: providing more homes, not full-blown apartment complexes in people’s backyards. No longer will our ADU program be a backdoor for large-scale projects that don’t resemble anyone’s idea of a “granny flat.”

My guiding principle to reform the ADU program has been to truly listen to the people who live in our neighborhoods – those who have shared their lived experiences and the concerns that keep them up at night. I thank the community for providing numerous excellent suggestions throughout an important conversation about the future of our city, not just today but for the past several years.

I believe that these changes strike the balance of reigning in an out-of-control program without getting rid of it entirely; I was proud to be a decisive yes vote on this item, as it passed the City Council 5-4.

Now, we must strictly enforce these important rules to build trust with our communities.

Why I Led the Effort to Start a Naloxone Distribution Effort at City Libraries

11,537. That’s how many days my brother, Alex, lived before an opioid overdose claimed his life.

That was over 10 years ago now. There is not a single person in my life who had more impact than Alex, from my very first memory at 2 years old, when he taught me to take care of lizards; to standing up to bullies when I was 7; to teaching me how to throw a stiff jab (and take a punch, too); to guiding me through every subject I would take because he had taken it before; to when I got into college and telling me how to make the most of it; to doing everything before I did it and always showing me how to do it better, how to do it right, or to not do it at all.

11,537 days was too few for a good person like Alex Campillo.

Alex’s story was part of the reason why I ran for office in the first place; as a prosecutor, I would see booking photos and police reports of people with mental health and drug addiction issues, and I would think: “how can I help my brother?”

That mission continues to guide my work at City Hall every day. I’ve worked hard to break down barriers to behavioral health treatment – so that one day, no one will suffer the same fate as my brother, or endure what my family still carries.

The latest step in that effort was just this past Friday, when I launched a new partnership with the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego to provide free naloxone, fentanyl and xylazine (tranq) test strips, and overdose response training at City of San Diego libraries – all at zero cost to the City, as these materials are provided by state grants (via San Diego County).

Getting these medications into folks’ hands saves lives. There’s a reason I carry Narcan around in my car: you never know whose life you may be able to save just by being in the right place at the right time.

Our first event was held at the Linda Vista Library, with more to come in the months ahead. Attendees were invited to write the names of loved ones lost to this crisis on canvases brought by the Harm Reduction Coalition, and I wrote down Alex’s.

With every day that I continue to serve as a public official, I will speak up for everyone like Alex, to be the brother he needed, so that they can have someone there for them, even if they don’t know it.

Coffee with Campillo Reminder

One more reminder that tomorrow morning will be Coffee with Campillo. We’ll provide the coffee – all you have to do is show up at 9:30am at the Tierrasanta Library! RSVP here or by clicking the image below.

Moment of Kindness of the Week: “A Gesture of Good Will for Bill”

Came across this story from Boulder City, Nevada about a woman named Susan Reams, who founded a movement called “A Gesture of Good Will for Bill” in honor of her late father. According to Reams, her father, who passed away 14 years ago, was the sort of person who just oozed kindness – he would often offer to pay strangers’ bills at restaurants, just to give one example, and was the sort of person who could always make you laugh.

So to honor her dad, Susan set up a walk on Father’s Day that really focuses on simply being kind. People signed up to give compliments, hugs, and other general random acts of kindness such as leaving a generous tip and picking up litter during walk.

I love the idea – perhaps it’s something that we should consider bringing to San Diego. Shout out to Susan for putting together this awesome event!

Off the Dais: Chargers Training Camp in D7

Look, I don’t think any of us are fully over the Chargers’ departure from San Diego – but I thought I’d share something pretty cool they're doing that I saw this week.

USD’s Torero Stadium — right here in District 7 — will play host to the Chargers’ training camp this July, as head coach Jim Harbaugh returns to where his coaching career began. On July 22 and 23, the team will hit the field for a pair of practices, including a special session on July 22 that’s exclusively open to active-duty service members, veterans, and their families.

As a Councilmember who proudly represents both USD and many of San Diego’s military families, I’m happy to see this kind of community-focused event right here in our backyard.

To our service members and veterans: if you're interested in attending, visit this website to register.