District 1 City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner visited the La Jolla Town Council during its Jan. 10 meeting to provide updates from the city, as well as answer questions from trustees and the public about the state of the city under its new leadership. “We’ve had our first two [City Council] meetings of the year,” she said. “As you know, former council president Tony Young has resigned from his position and moved on to the Red Cross, so we’re down one councilmember. That position should be filled within six months we believe.” District 3 City Councilman Todd Gloria has taken over as council president and Lightner as the council’s president pro tem — the first woman in San Diego to have held the position. Lightner is also serving as chairwoman of the new Rules and Economic Development Committee, continues to serve on the city’s Land Use and Housing and Budget committees, and is a board member on the newly established Infrastructure Committee. “We will be seeking a lot of input from the communities with respect to what you see as needs within the community for infrastructure. I want you to be thinking about some of the needs here in the Village area and the parks especially,” she said. She also announced that Gov. Jerry Brown issued a response to her letter, written Dec. 19, regarding the infamous stench emanating from La Jolla Cove. “He has assured us that he will get the Coastal Commission working on it. That’s one of the entities involved,” she said. On a broader scale, Lightner also urged community members to contact her office with comments on any federal or state legislative agendas, which will be discussed at the Jan. 30 meeting. Also to be discussed at the upcoming meeting is the state of the city’s budget, which may see a deficit of around $30 million, according to the latest report by the Independent Budget Analyst’s Office (IBA). “The IBA will be providing us with a report, and hopefully the mayor’s office will have met with us by that time to help consolidate priorities for the city as a whole,” Lightner said. “The five-year outlook from the mayor showed no deficit. The five-year outlook from the Independent Budget Analyst did show a deficit. We will be getting those numbers soon, and we will be getting reports on the various revenue sources from the city to update those.” The councilwoman also announced vacancies on city boards, including the Historical Resources Board, the La Jolla Shores Planned District Advisory Board and the city’s Audit Committee. “If you are interested in any other boards or commissions — I believe we have about 47 or 48 in the city of San Diego — check out the website, contact my office and we’ll be glad to help you out,” she said. For more updates about goings on in District 1, visit www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd1 or call Sherri Lightner’s office at (619) 236-6611.