KPBS Midday Edition

Mayor Faulconer Lays Out Ambitious Plans For Final Year In Office

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Marissa Cabrera / News Producer, KPBS Midday Edition

Published January 16, 2020 at 8:23 AM PST

This story was published more than 4 years ago.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer at Balboa Theater during his State of the City address on January 15, 2020.

Faulconer focused on housing and homelessness. He said he'll ask the City Council to approve an initiative that would let developers build denser and taller housing near transit stops.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer delivered his sixth and final State of the City address last night, laying out ambitious plans for his last year in office.

To ease the city's housing shortage, Faulconer said he will ask the City Council this spring to approve an initiative that would let developers build denser and taller housing near transit stops. The builders would have to set aside more homes for low-income households and pay for more neighborhood improvements like parks and sidewalk repairs.

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He spent part of his speech decrying state laws that lowered criminal penalties for drug use. He said they have contributed to California's homelessness crisis. He also said he will lead a statewide voter initiative related to homelessness, though he didn't give any details.

KPBS Metro reporter, Andrew Bowen, joined Midday Edition on Thursday to discuss the mayor's priorities in his final year in office.

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Marissa Cabrera

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Marissa Cabrera worked as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and had previously served as a Newscast Producer for KPBS' Morning Edition. Before joining KPBS she reported on Vatican affairs, social, and cultural issues in Rome, Italy. She also contributed to a documentary on sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Marissa has worked as a multimedia journalist at various news stations in San Diego and Monterey as well as Columbia, Missouri. Marissa graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism.

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