• • Recent Council Items of Interest • •
Council voted (5-0) 2/2/21 to authorize the execution of Pension Obligation Bonds to pay CalPERS for unfunded actuarial liability (UAL) that had accrued to over $350M, with an interest rate of 7%. At the time of the vote, council anticipated a rate of approximately $3.55%, but we were delighted to learn the week following that the city's bond rate was secured at a historic low of 2.54% for 24 years. This action, along with restrictions and conservative reserve requirements, will save the city an estimated $175M. Click here to read more and to see the chart that shows how relieved we are because of this excellent (and unanticipated) low rate.
Council voted (5-0) 2/2/21 to allocate $6.2M of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) CARES act and Emergency Solutions CARES Act grant funds to address homelessness, including operations and infrastructure for the anticipated homeless bridge sprung shelter near the Otay River Bottom. Please note that the city is working hard on securing the location which had been rejected by the Coastal Conservancy.
Council heard 2/16/21 an update and presentation of the San Diego Community Power Phase One launch. Click here to watch the presentation.
Council heard 2/16/21 a presentation by Chula Vista Police Captain Don Redmond on Live 911. Click here to watch the presentation.
Council accepted (5-0) 2/16/21 the 2021 annual budget report for the downtown Chula Vista property-based business improvement district (PBID) which funds the Third Avenue Village Association. TAVA's 2021 PBID budget is $467,926, and is voted on by their board of directors. Click here to see the budget and supporting documents.
Council voted (5-0) 2/16/21 to establish modest increases of greens and other fees at the Chula Vista Municipal Golf Course. Council also accepted the committed improvements by the operator, Touchstone. Click here to see supporting documents.
Council voted (5-0) 2/16/21 to approve amended and restated terms of the Bayfront Project Special Tax Financing District. The special tax levy rate (additional transient occupancy tax (TOT)) was increased from 5% to 5.5% until 6/30/2060. A public hearing will be conducted April 13, 2021 at 5:00pm. You can watch the presentation here and find supportive documents here. Note that the bulk of the cost of the initial authorized improvements include $240M for convention center facilities and $40M for a parking garage. The financing district also pays for parks, street improvements, sewer pump station, utilities, storm drains, etc. Thank you city staff - especially City Manager Maria Kachadoorian and Director of Development Tiffany Allen, and our City Attorney's office for the months of analysis and negotiations that went into this amended agreement.
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The next city council meeting is Tuesday, March 2nd, at 5pm, Chula Vista City Council Chambers, 276 4th Avenue. Councilmembers will teleconference to maintain social distance and work from home guidelines from the state. Council meetings are generally the first four Tuesdays of the month, but due to the need for our many boards and commissions to also meet via videoconference, Council meetings have occurred twice per month for the past few months. Agendas are posted the Thursday prior to each meeting. To view the agenda, click here. To subscribe to receive future agendas, click here.
City council meetings can be viewed live on television on Cox Cable channel 24 (only in Chula Vista) or AT&T U-Verse channel 99 (anywhere in the county), via live-streaming on your computer, tablet, or smart phone.
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• • Did You Know • •
A new outdoor beer and wine garden with an urban grill has opened in the Chula Vista Center Mall, near the west side entrance of Macys, in the courtyard? La Central is a locally owned business that you will enjoy visiting. Click here to learn more.
A new multicultural, intergenerational dance studio has opened in Chula Vista. Click here to learn more about Maraya Performing Arts.
You can buy Chula Vista logo merchandise at the new Chula Vista online store! Proceeds will benefit community departments. Click here to learn more.
MTS has retired its last diesel buses and added more electric buses as our regional transportation agency moves to 100% zero emissions by 2040. Click here to read more.
We were over-charged for water by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Sweetwater Authority will receive $874,368 and Otay Water District will receive $3,162,940 as a result of a decade-long rate case. The court rulings will help avoid future overcharges. Click here to read more.
The tax filing deadline this year is April 15th. Unfortunately, many free in-person tax help programs have been cancelled this year due to COVID, and some accountants are no longer taking in-person consultations. Those who need help (and who make less than $72K in Adjusted Gross Income) can use tax software and file for free by choosing from a range of providers at the IRS website. Click here and here for more information.
• • Call to Action • •
Help Oversee Chula Vista's Quality of Life on the Growth Management Oversight Commission. There is a vacancy for both the District 2 and District 4 representative on the GMOC. Click here to learn more about the GMOC. Click here to apply before Tuesday, March 16, 2021.
Local Families Spring Support Drive, Monday, March 22, Wednesday, March 24, and Friday, March 26, 5-7pm, at the OnStage Playhouse, 291 Third Avenue. Volunteers at the OnStage Playhouse and SBCS will accept donations of new and gently used items that families need (New items: toiletries, paper goods, laundry detergent and quarters, non-perishable food items, gym shoes, socks, undergarments, backpacks, school supplies, mattresses, pillows, bedding, towels; New or gently used: clothes & shoes (all ages), work interview clothes & shoes, furniture, dishes, cookware and kitchen utensils). Email here to ask questions or for a list of items most needed.
• • COVID-19 Update 3/1/21 • •
REMINDER - COVID Vaccines and Testing are all FREE.
Exclusive Chula Vista resident support line to set up COVID vaccination appointments - (619) 476-2397. Chula Vista's Community Services Department and EOC Staff decided to set up a dedicated line for Chula Vista residents who need assistance in setting up an appointment. Call (619) 476-2397 Monday - Friday, 11am - 7pm. The city has also set up a registration assistance desk at the Sears location to assist people who do not have internet or cannot navigate the online system. If you are a housebound senior, please let our EOC staff know, and they will try to schedule our mobile vaccination unit (Firefighter/Paramedic/EMT) to come to your residence.
FREE, COVID drive-up testing site (appointment required) at the Chula Vista South Library, Sundays through Thursdays, 12:30-8pm. COVID testing is also being performed at the old Sears building at the Chula Vista Mall on H Street. Click here for more information. Click here or call 211 to schedule a free COVID testing appointment. Click here to see a list of County testing sites by day of week.
Chula Vista's FREE MASK GIVEAWAY has been extended to include adults, children and teen sizes! Chula Vista is giving away one free 100% cotton face mask (with our city's logo) to adults, children and teens (while supplies last). You can pick up a free mask at the Chula Vista Civic Center Library 365 F Street or the Otay Ranch Library 2015 Birch Rd, 11am - 6pm, Monday - Friday. Click here to see the mask and learn more.
Chula Vista's COVID-19 data dashboard can be found at this link.
You can continue to check updated COVID-19 information at three important websites: the City of Chula Vista, County of San Diego and State of California.
California has extended its eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021. Click here to read more.
The Federal Government has suspended student loan collections through September 30, 2021. Click here to read more.
MTS is offering free rides to vaccination appointments. Riders on Trolleys or busses will only need to show a confirmation email of their vaccine appointment that day, in a printout or on a smart phone. Passengers are required to wear a mask and please do not take transit if you are sick. Click here to learn more.
When are you eligible to receive a COVID vaccine? Who is on which schedule can be confusing at times. You can sign up for free alerts and learn more about when you might be able to schedule an appointment for the COVID vaccine by clicking here.
CA Notify is a voluntary bluetooth app that you can download and activate on your cell phone to receive alerts if you were in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Your privacy and identity are protected and your location is not tracked. Click here to learn more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a vaccination data page and tracker on its website. The page tracks the total number of COVID-19 vaccines administered in the US. Note that there is a lag between how many COVID vaccines have been distributed and how many people have received the first dose of the vaccine. Click here to visit the CDC COVID Data Tracker website.
U.S. land borders with Mexico and Canada remain closed to non-essential travel remain in effect. Click here for more information.
• • High Priority Items • •
Police Officer Staffing, as of 3/1/2021
- Authorized Peace Officers - 270* Full Time Employees (Chief, Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Agents, Peace Officers)
- Vacancies - 29* Full Time Equivalents
- Applicants for those positions currently in process - 184 applicants are currently on a civil service list for either Police Recruit or Lateral Peace Officer. These applicants have passed a written test, pre-background questionnaire, physical agility test and/or oral board interview. After being placed on this list, applicants must successfully complete a background, chief's interview, psychological evaluation and pre-employment medical. Our Human Resources Department is continually recruiting, which includes written test, physical agility testing and oral board interviews monthly. Chula Vista has very high standards for our police officers, and we lose a majority of applicants in the first phase of the application process. We can and should do better as a city to prioritize funding for our police department to ensure that all vacancies are filled. You can read more about my thoughts on Public Safety staffing here.
• • Kudos to • •
The Chula Vista Finance Team, headed by Finance Director David Bilby and overseen by our City Manager, Maria Kachadoorian, for proving to Wall Street that Chula Vista is being managed in a financially sound manner. Chula Vista refinanced over $350M in unfunded actuarial liability (pension debt to CalPERS) at a rate of 2.54%. The 7% rate from CalPERS meant every year, it has become progressively more challenging to pay what we owed. Our city's savings is projected to be over $175M. I am especially thrilled that the length of the financing term is 24 years and not 30-40 years as previously considered. Click here to read more and to see the chart that shows how relieved we are because of this excellent (and unanticipated) low rate.
Chula Vista's Engineering Department and Public Works for completing Phase 3 of the $14.1M Third Avenue Streetscape project. Third Avenue looks beautiful, and it is exciting to dine at new restaurants such as El Cruce 241 and (soon) Farmers' Table. Click here to watch the news story. Click here to check out all of the different offerings at the Third Avenue Village.
Chula Vista's Operation Immunity, our Fire Department's mobile vaccination unit that brings vaccinations to senior centers and homebound seniors in Chula Vista. If you are a homebound senior (or know of one) 65+, who would like to schedule the the vaccination unit to come to you, call (619) 476-2397. Click here to watch the KPBS story.
Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas for being appointed to represent our community on the San Diego Regional Airport Authority Board.
Envision Broadway Mixer hosts and attendees for a great turnout at our February online mixer. Thank you Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce and the Institute for Public Strategies and those of you who care about Broadway Avenue and future opportunities.
Chula Vista Engineering and Public Works, the Chula Vista Safety Commission, and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, for completing Bikes on Broadway, click here to read more.
The San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for your hand-delivery of bags of 200 masks to many our local small Hispanic-owned businesses in Chula Vista. A total of 56,000 masks will be given in the San Diego County region during this operation.
Chula Vista's COVID Champion Award winners. Chula Vista is truly a city of Champions! Click here to watch the award ceremony.
• • Need Help? • •
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened a short window for forgivable PPP loans to small businesses, Feb 24 - March 9th. Click here to learn more and see if you qualify.
Chula Vista will be distributing up to $16.8 million in past-due rent relief from and help with utility bills. The application portal is expected to open before March 15th. Click here to learn more and sign up for emailed updates, and please share this information with your family and friends who may be in need. Funding for this program comes from allocations from the U.S. Department of Treasury and the State of California. If you do not live in Chula Vista, click here if you need help.
Chula Vista rental assistance applications can be found by clicking here, emailing here, or calling (619) 420-3620. This program is administered by South Bay Community Services.
Don't despair - call someone if you are having mental health issues! Click here for a list of mental health resources in the county, or call (888) 724-7240 for 24x7 crisis support and referrals from trained and experienced counselors.
FACT has reinstated fares for San Diego County residents for essential needs (medical appointments and grocery shopping) for seniors, persons with disabilities, students, veterans and other residents who need assistance. Call FACT at (888) 924-3228 between 8am - 3pm, Monday - Friday to request and schedule transportation anywhere in San Diego County. Click here for more information.
Great Plates, continued! The Great Plates program has been expanded and eligible people/families re encouraged to apply. The program provides delivered meals to those over 65 years, over 60 years with a health condition, or those with a disability. For eligibility requirements and more information, click here or call (800) 339-4661, then select option 7.
Caregivers (working parents and guardians) may be eligible for federal and state financial resources if they have to miss work to care for children as a result of school closures! Click here to see if you might qualify for the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). You might also qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) - click here.
Childcare Help: Chula Vista-based Child Development Associates helps manage the Alternative Payment Program (APP) that provides subsidized child care services to thousands of families across San Diego County with the child care provider of their choice. The APP reimbures the provider on behalf of he parent for the child care. Learn more about CDA here. The YMCA Childcare Resource Service (CRS) is also the childcare resource and referral agency for San Diego County. Learn more here. Note - if you're ever in need of resources, please call 211 first to see how the County can help you.
For those experiencing food insecurity, Chula Vista has a dedicated phone number and city staff is making deliveries of San Diego Food Bank items - call (619) 476-5340, 9am - 4pm Monday - Saturday.
Free meals (breakfast, lunch and fruit), regardless of income eligibility, are available (while supplies last) for all children ages 2 - 18 on Tuesdays from 11am - 1pm at most Sweetwater Union High School District middle and high school campuses. Click here for more information and locations. For CVESD, all enrolled students may participate in the meal distribution program, which includes food for seven days. Click here for more information.
The Chula Vista Animal Care Facility has a "Pet Pantry" program for unopened food & other resources . Email animalcare@chulavistaca.gov or call (619) 476-2477
• • Jobs, Jobs, Jobs • •
Click here to see a list of current job openings with the city of Chula Vista. Job descriptions (and salary ranges) can be found here.
Click here to bid on projects with the city.
Click here to file for unemployment benefits if you have recently lost your job.
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Thank you for the honor to serve you on the Chula Vista City Council. Your thoughts and questions are always welcome!
Be safe, take care, and please check in on your friends and family via phone, email, or letter.
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Warm regards,
Jill M. Galvez | Chula Vista City Councilmember | District 2, Northwest
276 Fourth Avenue | Chula Vista, CA | 91910
Phone: 619.691.5177 | Cell: 619.997.1016 | Email: jmgalvez@chulavistaca.gov
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