by Ernie McCray Joe Biden, like the decent human being he happens to be, gave his race for the presidency to his vice-president and she, like an anchor sprinter in a relay race, has taken the baton like a runner fully into winning the race, saying, without slowing her pace ..read more

The club has survived waves and fire in its 100 years of 'Friendship, community, fun and philanthropy' By Eric Duvall /Pt Loma-OB Monthly (SDUT) / July 17, 2024 In the early days of the Ocean Beach Historical Society, it met in the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club clubhouse.  In the early days of the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club, it met at the Alligator Rock Lodge (aka Collier’s Shack). Think about that. When I first started spending time in the archives of OBHS, I couldn’t help but notice 10 banker’s boxes labeled “Ocean Beach Woman’s Club.” It was a bit of a “wow” moment for me. Our archivist, Mary ..read more

By Kate Callen It’s no surprise Mayor Todd Gloria will not give up on his proposed 1,000-bed homeless shelter, not even after the idea was denounced at Monday’s long and contentious City Council meeting. He seems vexed that the Council has grown a collective spine. He is giving councilmembers one month to come to their senses. In council chambers Monday, Gloria was defiant. He was the lead-off speaker on the Hope @Vine item. He sat in the front row during much of the public comment period. But was he listening to what people were telling him? Apparently not. The webcast showed Gloria looking a ..read more

Ocean Beach Slumlord Micky Mills Able to Obtain 115 Licenses Due to Loop Holes Some have thought that Councilmember Jen Campbell had reformed and sanded off some of her rough edges, but after Thursday's Community and Neighborhood Services Committee, which she chairs, those thoughts crashed and burned. Because it’s been a little over a year since the requirements imposed by the City to license short-term rentals went into effect, it was time for the committee to review the results of the STRO and pass on any recommendations for improving the ordinance to the full Council. Current regulations al ..read more

Another "We're Just a Platform" Excuse By Trudy Grundland Here’s my take on the story about the class action filed against Airbnb in Nevada, June 2024, in Giller v. Airbnb, Inc. using the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act. There must be someone in California who wants to do the same. Nevada state and local laws require Airbnb to investigate its new host applicants to confirm the person is authorized to rent the property on a short-term basis. Airbnb is aware that a person may be in violation of a lease homeowner or condo association rules, and city zoning laws that restrict short-term renta ..read more

Today, Thursday, July 25, the City Council's Community & Neighborhood Services (CNS) Committee will be discussing the STRO ordinance. This will be the first city discussion since the ordinance went into effect May 1, 2023. San Diego residents have a chance to share our experiences and offer suggestions. We need to make our voices heard. There's lots of problems with the current ordinance and how it's enforced. For starters, see this from yesterday ..read more

By Adam Behar / San Diego Reader / July 24, 2024 Community planning group considerations are supposed to be boring. Infrastructure, environmental impact reports, traffic studies, zoning…important stuff, but also dull enough to make most people zone out. But not this year. This year, University City and Hillcrest are updating their community plans, plans that will serve as a road map for developers in the coming years. The question those plans seek to answer: what should the community look and feel like from now until 2050? Arriving at that answer has been anything but boring ..read more

By Kevin Hastings, Vice-Chair, OB Planning Board Last night, July 23, the Community Planners Committee (CPC) unanimously approved a citizen-led proposal for changes to the short-term vacation rental ordinance. The CPC consists of the chairs of all 40+ planning groups across the city. And at least 6 of the community groups have also signed on to the proposal. This is on the eve of a City Council Community and Neighborhood Services committee meeting (7/25 at 1pm) for a required annual review of the ordinance.  Councilmember Jennifer Campbell chairs this committee. We will be asking them to ..read more

..read more

Council President Sean Elo-Rivera is proposing to eliminate all virtual public comments from City Council meetings today at the Rules Committee. This comes after repeated statements by members of the public who are concerned about not being heard because they cannot attend in person due to work, school, or other circumstances. This is happening at the Rules Committee, today at 2 PM. Take Actions: The Community Wants More Accessibility for Public Participation in Our Government. What: The City Council is proposing to eliminate ALL virtual public comments in future public meetings. Submit an e-C ..read more