With San Diego still reeling from the resignation of ex-Mayor Bob Filner, members of the Ocean Beach Town Council’s Board of Directors took advantage of an opportunity to get an inside view of the intrigues during a report from John Ly, aide to District 2 Councilmember Kevin Faulconer.
Faulconer, the most senior member of the City Council, played a prominent role in negotiating the terms in which Filner agreed to leave office, Ly confirmed at the Town Council’s Aug. 25 meeting.
Faulconer formally announced his candidacy for the mayor’s race Sept. 4.
Asked why Faulconer wound up joining Council President Todd Gloria at the negotiating table and not Sherri Lightner, the council’s president pro-tem, Ly said it was likely a nod to Faulconer’s seniority. Faulconer will complete the final year of his second term next year and is limited by law from running for a third term.
And in the wake of Filner’s departure, Faulconer will continue to maintain a high profile. Faulconer will chair an Audit Committee hearing Sept. 9 to look into expenses stemming from a trip to Paris that Filner took in June, Ly said.
“We’re concerned the city may have paid for this and we want this money back in the general fund,” Ly said.
That prompted a playful question from OBTC president Dave Martin.
“Should I call you ‘Your Honor’s aide’ yet?” joked Martin during the Aug. 25 meeting.
Ly said he hadn’t heard about Faulconer’s plans at that point. Candidates have until Sept. 20 to file for the special election, which will he held Nov. 19.
• Local Congressman Scott Peters, who last appeared at a Town Council-sponsored town hall meeting in April, will make a return visit at the next monthly OBTC meeting Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Point Loma Masonic Lodge, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
• Local Assemblywoman Toni Atkins will be the special guest at a free seminar that offers tips on how to grow your business by maximizing Facebook, said Atkins aide Rachel Gregg. The Facebook Small Business Boost takes place Sept. 24 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Ocean Beach Playhouse, 4944 Newport Ave., Suite E. Registration information is available at facebookboostsandiego.eventbrite.com.
• Voting continues until Sept. 9 in annual elections for the OBTC’s 15-member board of directors, but suspense may be lacking this year. Exactly eight citizens declared themselves candidates for the eight slots available for two-year terms. Seven of the eight hopefuls were in attendance to make their pitches in person: incumbents Marin Green, Melinda Therkalsen, Jim Musgrove and Gretchen Kinney Newsome; and newcomers Jenn Avoledo, Jody Thompson and Anthony Palmiotto. The eighth candidate is Jon Carr, an incumbent. OBTC members who are up to date in paying their $20 annual dues were to have received a ballot by email.
• A poll asking what to do about the annual Marshmallow Wars — the tradition that brought notoriety to Ocean Beach this last Fourth of July for the mess and questionable behavior from some participants — received 234 votes, said Dave Cieslak, public relations chair. The board will form a recommendation at its Sept. 11 closed meeting and release the decision at its Sept. 25 public meeting, said Martin.
• Integrated Sign Associates has been selected among four companies invited to submit bids to replace the weather-worn, termite-infested OB entryway sign on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, said Jim Musgrove, who chairs the Community Enhancement Committee. No funding has yet been secured for the project, which is estimated at more than $7,000, Musgrove said.
• As many as 1,000 people are expected to chow down on scrambled eggs, sausages and flapjacks at the annual OB Pier Pancake Breakfast on Sept. 21 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Musgrove said. Tickets, available at some local businesses and at the event, cost $10 for adults and $5 for children. Proceeds benefit the annual OB Toy and Food Drive, which helps more than 80 local families and seniors in need during the upcoming holiday season.
• With summer ending, two police officers well-known in Ocean Beach are going back to school, sort of. The two officers deployed here for the seasonal Beach Team have been reassigned to the Juvenile Service Team, a resource for local schools, said David Surwilo, community services officer. The Beach Team provides a special emphasis to the pier parking lot, Dog Beach, Newport Avenue and other areas with a high level of service calls. The team changed from year-round deployment to summer-only several years ago because of budget constraints, Surwilo said.
• Three times a year, officers swap shifts to get a better view of community issues that take place at different times of the day. The next shift change takes place Sept. 14, Surwilo said. Officers on day watch move to 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.; night-watch police move to 2 p.m. to midnight; and the afternoon force moves to 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.