Interim Mayor, Todd Gloria has unveiled a list of proposed projects which could be completed with an anticipated $120 million infrastructure bond that January 2014.  This infrastructure bond will help us improve our neighborhoods to levels San Diegans deserve.  Repairing streets, storm drains and replacing failing aging facilities with bond funds is fiscally responsible and community focused. 

This bond is proposed to include $43,460,000 for street resurfacing.  Some of the other projects on the proposed list include: design for the Skyline Library, San Ysidro Library, San Carlos Library, and Skyline Fire Station, design and land acquisition for the Home Avenue Fire Station, and replacement of Fire Station 22 in Point Loma and Fire Station 5 in Hillcrest. 
 

The proposed project list will be discussed by the City Council's Infrastructure Committee at its meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 28.   More information on this infrastructure bond can be found on Mayor Gloria's website:

You should have received in the mail a notice of a public hearing from the City of San Diego regarding water rate increases. On the back of this form is a protest document. Please note that this form MUST BE HANDWRITTEN AND MAILED OR HAND DELIVERED - NO FAXES, phone calls, etc. will be counted.

IF YOU WISH TO PROTEST WATER RATE INCREASES this form needs to be received by City of San Diego by November 21, 2013.    You can also find this form at  www.sandiego.gov/water.

Special Patrol Bikes 

They say charity begins at home, and that's exactly where the College Area Community Council will be looking when it meets in November.  We'll be considering a proposal to fund special patrol bicycles for the Eastern Division of the San Diego Police Department.  Eastern Division's C Squad spends a good deal of its time patrolling the College Area, and has learned from experience that patrolling on bicycles is an excellent way to keep tabs on activities that can't easily be seen from cars. 

Those small alleys, alcoves, and hidden places are areas where illegal activity often occurs.  The bikes give police officers speed, mobility, and flexibility in spotting these otherwise elusive law breakers. 

Unfortunately, the City has no budget for SDPD bicycles, so all bikes must be donated by private parties.  In the past, Squad C has been able to borrow bicycles from other divisions for short periods of time, but must return them when needed by the other divisions.  Now is a perfect time to make sure that Eastern Division also has this capability.  Five bikes are needed for this endeavor. 

The bikes must be specially equipped, so each bike costs around $2,000.  They would be maintained primarily by the police officers using them, but the City also has a bike maintenance contract for major repairs, which costs approximately $100 a year. 

They would be maintained primarily by the police officers using them, but the City also has a bike maintenance contract for major repairs, and the cost is carried by the City."

The College Area Community Council lacks sufficient funds to donate all five bikes, and is encouraging all residents served by Eastern Division to consider this worthy cause when designing your year-end contributions.  Donations can be made to the San Diego Police Foundation and designated for patrol bikes for Eastern Division.  Information about the Foundation can be obtained at www.SDPoliceFoundation.org .

NOTE: This article was written prior to our November 13 meeting; so if you want to know how the meeting turned out, go to our website, www.CollegeArea.org.

Infrastructure Workshops

Councilmember Marti Emerald has kicked off, with Councilmember Mark Kersey, a series of infrastructure community workshops  to be held in upcoming weeks throughout the City of San Diego.  Councilmember Kersey chairs our Infrastructure Committee and is working to create the City's first ever 5-Year Infrastructure Plan. 

The purpose of these workshops is to inform and receive input from residents about what types of improvements you would like to see in your neighborhood. 

When we talk about infrastructure, we often think only streets and water pipes.  But infrastructure includes a myriad other things,  such as bike facilities, bridges, libraries, police stations, streetlights, sidewalks, fire stations, wastewater systems and more.  Attendance at these workshops is not just for engineers, planners and architects; all San Diegans are encouraged to participate and provide input on priorities for your neighborhood.   

In the event you are unable to attend the meeting scheduled in your   district, you are welcome to attend another meeting and have input for your community count. 

The schedule for District 9 is:

November 20 or 21 at 6:00 p.m., with Councilmember Marti Emerald, Workforce Career Center, 3rd Floor Conference Room, 3910 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92105.

Please be sure to contact Councilmember Marti Emerald's office beforehand to confirm the date, time and place of the infrastructure workshop in the event some of the details have changed. 

 SDPD Eastern Divisions New Community Meetings 

The San Diego Police Department's Eastern Division, in collaboration with the SDSUPD, is pleased to announce the creation of a monthly public safety meeting exclusively for the College Area. We encourage you to make it a priority to attend this meeting or send a representative from your community group.

The Eastern Division of the SDPD has fewer resources for community outreach than Mid-City Division, which previously covered the College Area. Mid-City Division has three Community Resource Officers, while Eastern Division just recently assigned one full time CRO, Adam McElroy. Adam is responsible for the entire Eastern Division, which includes the neighborhoods of San Carlos, Del Cerro, Lake Murray, Allied Gardens, Grantville, Mission Valley East, Serra Mesa, Tierrasanta, Kearny Mesa, Qualcomm, and Birdland. Given these limited resources, it is nearly impossible for SDPD to have a representative at each and every one of the community meetings each month for these respective neighborhoods.

The College Area is an integral part of Eastern Division. We are creating a special meeting each month, with police presence from SDPD and SDSUPD, devoted entirely to public safety issues. Each community group in the College Area may appoint a law enforcement liaison to attend this monthly meeting and express its specific concerns. The Liaison would then relay the information obtained and/or resolutions reached back to the larger community group. These meetings will be open to any member of the public who wishes to attend. Not only would the CRO attend these meetings, but they will periodically include other SDPD and SDSUPD personnel, to insure that all law enforcement issues in the College area can be comprehensively covered. We are forming this public safety coalition exclusively in the College Area in an attempt to provide the highest quality police services for a very unique and diverse community.

As you select your liaison, and members of the community express an interest in attending, please contact SDPD Community Relations Office Adam Mcelroy (amcelroy@pd.andiego.gov) with the liaison's name and a rough estimate of the number who will be attending from your group. Any SDUPD related issues can be directed to Community Liaison Officer Briana Dost (bdrost@mail.sdsu.edu).

This initial meeting and possible subsequent meetings will be scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the College Avenue Baptist Church located at 4747 College Ave. This first meeting will be scheduled on November 19th at 6:30pm. 

What You Need in an Emergency Kit

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

· Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation 

· Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food 

· Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both 

· Flashlight and extra batteries 

· First aid kit 

· Whistle to signal for help 

· Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place 

· Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

· Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities 

· Manual can opener for food 

· Local maps 

· Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

FOOD

Consider the following things when putting together your emergency food supplies: 

· Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food 

· Choose foods your family will eat

· Remember any special dietary needs

· Avoid foods that will make you thirsty

· Choose salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals and canned foods with high liquid content

Following a disaster, there may be power outages that could last for several days. Stock canned foods, dry mixes and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water or special preparation. Be sure to include a manual can opener and eating utensils.

The following items are suggested when selecting emergency food supplies. You may already have many of these on hand.

· Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables and a can opener 

· Protein or fruit bars 

· Dry cereal or granola 

· Peanut butter 

· Dried fruit

· Nuts

· Crackers 

· Canned juices 

· Non-perishable pasteurized milk 

· High energy foods 

· Vitamins 

· Food for infants 

· Comfort/stress foods