Council District 9 News

September 20, 2022

Hello Lydia,

As many of you know, approval of the budget is one of the primary roles the City Council is tasked with. In previous years, the Council’s official engagement in the process began in January with the submission of Budget Priority Memos.

This year, with a desire to have a more proactive role in the process, we are submitting those memos at the end of this month. This opportunity does not just mean the Council has an opportunity to engage earlier; it also means your voice can be heard earlier and have a greater impact in the process.

My call to action is simple — please take a moment to fill out the budget priority survey and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

English Survey: sdd9.info/fy24
Spanish Survey: sdd9.info/fy24s

A budget shaped by community input is a better budget.

With gratitude,

Sean

D9 Office Hours

The District 9 Office is now taking requests to meet with the Council President during our Office Hours. These are opportunities for D9 residents to speak directly with the Council President for a 15-minute one-on-one meeting, offered in-person or virtually (Zoom).

Office Hours appointments are RSVP-ONLY. To be added to the interest list, please email your community representative (find yours here) with the following information:

Full name
Email address
Phone number
Preferred time
In-person or virtual

Your Community Representative will then follow up on your submission and the Director of Office Administration will send an appointment to confirm the meeting the week of Office Hours.

October Office Hours:

City Heights: Friday, October 21, 10am-12pm

Council District 9 Updates

Introduction of New Intern Cohort

Last month, our office welcomed our first cohort of District 9’s Field Representative Internship Program! We are honored to have 5 young leaders join our team to enhance our customer service for our constituents while giving our youth opportunities in public service.

These interns will be working closely with our Community Empowerment team in a myriad of ways. Whether it is supporting casework management, constituent engagement, addressing the concerns and priorities of our district, or attending an event in one of your neighborhoods – we know they will be a great champion for our community in their work. In addition, they will also be learning about the fundamentals of being a public servant, as well as how the City operates internally and with our regional partners and other jurisdictions.

We’re excited to have this group of leaders share their wisdom, passions, and talents with our office and district! Please join us in welcoming our wonderful Field Representative Interns!

Andrea Berreondo

(She/They)

Angel Garibay

(He/Him)

Liliana Soriano Garista

(She/They)

Ramon Saldivar

(He/Him)

Robert Marin

(He/Him)

D9 Budget Survey

This Friday (September 23rd) is the deadline to submit YOUR budget priorities for the City’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget! Please let us know what services, programs, and projects the City should invest in next year by completing the survey.

English Survey: sdd9.info/fy24
Spanish Survey: sdd9.info/fy24s

Whether you’re a resident, business owner, worker, or someone with a stake in the success of District 9, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera wants to hear from YOU!

City Council Special Meeting on Homelessness

The City Council convened a Special Meeting on Homelessness on yesterday (Monday, September 19) to address the crisis that affects our entire city. This meeting offered an opportunity for the Council, City Leaders and public to get an update on San Diego’s Community Action Plan and hear from the Federal Government on maintaining and maximizing funding to solve the challenges we face.

Councilmembers also considered approval of a new program that employs social workers, drug abuse counselors and psychiatric health workers to serve unsheltered individuals with the most challenging mental health issues.

Small Business Highlight:

Flower of the Mountain

Flower of the Mountain has been a landmark in Mt. Hope for the last nine years. It is a flower shop owned and managed by Silvia Lopez. Silvia was born in Nayarit, Mexico. She came to the United States as a young girl, worked in many hospitality and restaurant jobs, and then decided to start her flower shop.

She is grateful for the continued support of her many clients from many parts of the city, especially during COVID, a particularly difficult time for many small businesses. Her business has good quality, great selection for weddings, quinceañeras, funerals and special occasions with excellent prices.

Flower of the Mountain is located at 4112 Market St SD CA 92102. Phone: (619) 304-1054

Destacado de Negocios Locales:

Flower of the Mountain

Flower of the Mountain ha sido un hito en Mt. Hope durante los últimos nueve años. Es una florería propiedad y administrada diariamente por Silvia López. Silvia nació en Nayarit, México. Llegó a los Estados Unidos cuando era una niña, trabajó en muchos trabajos de hostelería y restaurantes, cuando decidió abrir su floristería. Está agradecida por el continuo apoyo de sus muchos clientes de muchas partes de la ciudad, especialmente durante el COVID, un tiempo particularmente difícil para muchas pequeñas empresas.

Su negocio tiene buena calidad, gran selección para bodas, quinceañeras, funerales y ocasiones especiales. Envíele un mensaje de texto con anticipación para cualquier arreglo especial. ¡Sus precios y la calidad de sus flores son excelentes!

Flower of the Mountain está ubicado en 4112 Market St SD CA 92102. Teléfono: (619) 304-1054

What We're Reading, Watching, and Listening

In this new section Council President Elo-Rivera (and our team) will be sharing a few things we’ve seen and heard that have influenced or impacted us since our last email.

Take a look and give these items a read or watch:

Read: "These people do heroic work.’ Outreach workers refuse to give up on the homeless" - SDUT

Watch: "Do Your Buses Get Stuck in Traffic? Traffic solutions & the Downs-Thomson Paradox" - Not Just Bikes

Listen: "There's a massive housing shortage across the U.S. Here's how bad it is where you live" – NPR