Brown is the new green
State and local agencies scrambled this week, to come up with policies to increase conservation after last week’s order by the governor to reduce water use by 25 percent. In a draft plan, the state Water Resources Control Board said San Diego must slash its consumption by 20 percent.
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s prescription for conservation includes tightening up enforcement for water wasters, restarting rebates for residents who rip out their lawns and cutting back on watering parks and golf courses. How big a dent in the state’s water crisis will these measures make, when 80 percent of water used in the state goes to keeping crops in the Central and Imperial valleys thriving?
And, is there conservation fatigue among the state’s residents? Numbers out this week show Californians didn’t try very hard to use less water in February. Residents reduced usage by just 2.8 percent, down from 8 percent in January. It was our worst showing since record keeping began last July.
Critics call for more oversight at Civic San Diego
Civic San Diego is an entity that was tasked with wrapping up projects that were left hanging when the state shut down redevelopment agencies in 2011. But since then, it has found a way to keep itself afloat financially, and continues to play a role in the permitting and development of land downtown. And it’s looking to expand that role into City Heights and Encanto.
But Civic San Diego is facing opposition from community groups and lawmakers, like Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who worry that the nonprofit (partially funded by the city) operates without much oversight from elected officials. And, unlike its redevelopment predecessor, isn’t obligated to set aside 20 percent of its redevelopment revenue for affordable housing.
Cory Briggs update
He’s not an elected official, but environmental lawyer Cory Briggs has managed to exert his influence in a major way in the region. He’s filed dozens of lawsuits against the city of San Diego, including suing to stop the city from expanding the downtown Convention Center. And while he’s a proponent of open government, Briggs hasn’t been so open about some of his dealings or his personal relationships.
This week, environmental firm Helix Environmental Planning agreed to pay the city $143,382 to settle a claim of a potential conflict of interest. Turns out, Briggs’ significant other (it's unclear if the pair are married) was employed by the firm hired to conduct an environmental review of the city’s stormwater master plan. At the same time, she was vice president of Briggs’ law firm, the same firm that later sued the city, claiming the environmental review was inadequate.
