Dear Inquirer,

No City Council this week – a perfect time to re-familiarize myself with and deepen my understanding of the issues.

Pictured above, members of my team and I met with our city’s small but mighty team that monitors our flood plains. In this meeting, I learned of the multiple efforts we have undertaken to tap into discounts for flood insurance for our residents; because of the team, flood insurance is actually 15% cheaper than in other cities that don’t put in this effort. This is one small way that we protect property and drive down costs that gets little news, but saves hundreds of dollars for tens of thousands of San Diegans and businesses along our river and watersheds.

Additionally, I went on a ride along with General Services (which repairs city facilities, bathrooms, pipes, and a host of other key maintenance projects) to see various City facilities. Part of the tour was to observe our in-house team that repairs trucks and city vehicles to keep costs down and reduce contract spending. 

I also toured the revitalized Civic Theater with the team (pictured below!), met with the Captain of SDPD Eastern Division, and much more. Nice to have a little extra time to mark off some of the things I’ve been meaning to do!

Regarding Kramer and David Street being repaved. The same area has a street off of Burton, Acheson Street! This street has been in need of a repaving more than Kramer or David Street for years! Why is no one addressing that street? Lynn

Sound familiar? That’s because we featured it in a past Raul Roundup, where we clarified that Acheson St didn’t get a slurry seal like Kramer and David Streets because it was in need of a full overhaul, but that it was fully funded for a mill and pave this year… and what do you know, this week it got done:

This 0.44 lane-mile stretch was in rough shape, with pavement condition scores as low as 17.8 out of 100. Thanks to our City’s mill-and-pave teams, who literally grind up the old asphalt and lay down a brand-new surface, the street is now smooth and safe for years of use.

Just weeks ago, I specifically included Acheson Street in my budget priorities memo as a high priority road for repaving due to its poor condition. I’m so glad to see this street get the fresh pavement that residents deserve, and I’ll continue to work to get streets repaved all over District 7!

Our nurses and medical professionals deserve the respect, fair pay, and safe staffing that they’ve earned for performing their lifesaving work. That's why when Kaiser nurses went on strike and Sharp nurses held an informational picket this week to call for fairer working conditions, I firmly stood with those workers.

When we support the people who care for us, patients and families across our city are safer and better served. It’s time for Sharp and Kaiser leadership to return to the table in good faith and value the workers who keep us and our neighbors healthy.

Standing with UNAC/UHCP nurses at a past picket in August

Incredible story this week from CalMatters about Mi Escuelita, a therapeutic preschool in San Diego that helps children heal from family trauma and domestic violence. Run by local nonprofit SBCS, Mi Escuelita combines early learning with on-site therapy and family support, ensuring kids are emotionally ready for kindergarten and beyond.

Research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) shows just how high the stakes are: exposure to violence or instability at a young age can increase risks of chronic illness, substance abuse, and mental health challenges later in life. Programs like Mi Escuelita intervene at that critical moment—helping children feel safe, seen, and supported.

Researchers at UC San Diego have tracked Mi Escuelita’s students for years and found remarkable outcomes. Over 80% of graduates scored above average on kindergarten readiness tests, and follow-up studies show they go on to match—or even exceed—their peers in reading and math. 

Stories like this remind us why we must continue to invest in early childhood programs that lift up children and families. By intervening at the right moment with care, Mi Escuelita gives children the foundation to thrive and ensures that cycles of trauma can be broken, one classroom at a time.

Read the full story here.

Back when I first took office, one of the first big innovations that I designed was the San Diego Solar Equity program. At the time, the City was in negotiations with SDG&E for another franchise agreement to provide power for San Diego residents, and I believed strongly that it was the City Council’s responsibility to negotiate the best deal possible for our citizens.

While actual rates are set by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), one lever that we had was to force concessions from SDG&E – and that’s where the Solar Equity Program was born.

Here's how it works: SDG&E committed $10 million – $1 million each year – to provide eligible low-income residents with monetary assistance to install rooftop solar panels. Residents then submit proposals, and qualifying submissions are chosen on a first-come, first-served basis. Critically, the dollars that pay for this program are taken out of shareholder funds, not from ratepayers.

As we enter the fourth year of this program, we asked the folks over at the Center for Sustainable Energy, the nonprofit that helps manage this program, for some statistics from this program. Here’s what they had for us:

• 121 projects citywide; 80 fully complete, 41 in progress
• $4.2 million paid out as part of the program so far

I’m glad the program is working as intended, and I look forward to seeing more families be served by the Solar Equity program. To learn more, check out their website here.

This email series is called the 'Raul Roundup.’ I'll be sending along a few things I'm seeing online, reading about in the news, and doing as your City Councilmember. These fun, informative, and short emails will arrive straight to your inbox every Friday.

Hope you have a great weekend.

All the best,

Raul

P.S. Feel free to forward this email to a friend, family member, neighbor, colleague, etc., who might find this Roundup interesting or informative. And if you’re the person who has been forwarded this email, you can subscribe here!

Office of Councilmember
Raul A. Campillo
City Administration Building
202 C Street, 10th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

619-236-6677

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