City creates citizens’ business committee The city of San Diego has reached out to the public for suggestions on closing its budget deficit, and has now established a more official board of residents to help the city promote its businesses — and its revenues. The Citizens Revenue Review and Economic Competitiveness Commission was tasked in October to research methods of retaining and attracting business; to research strategies for maximizing revenues; and to look at city surveys to better understand the services the public desires. The commission was initiated by District 1 Councilmember Sherri Lightner, District 3 Councilmember Todd Gloria and District 4 Councilmember Tony Young. Eight commissioners were appointed by council members to serve on the board, including Andrea Moser, vice-president for communications at Burnham Institute for Medical Research, for District 1, and Michael Morton, chief executive officer for Brigantine Restaurant Corporation for District 2. The commission will add its suggestions to a paper trail of committees gone before it, however. In the 2009 Special Citizen’s Task Force report, the task force saw the city’s budget crisis lay in “living beyond its means” by deferring expenses and postponing or under-funding aging infrastructure, retirement plans and retiree medical benefits. The city had masked the full cost of the latter expenses for several years. One of the Task Force’s top recommendations was to cut retirement benefits. “The city must find a way to reduce what has heretofore been deemed “”vested retirement benefits,” states the report. “The city must make a firm decision on whether it wants to and, importantly, can afford to grant retiree health benefits. If such benefits are to continue the city must immediately commence fully funding the actuarially required annual amount.” To view the Special Citizen’s Task Force report and for more information on the Citizens Revenue Review and Economic Competitiveness Commission, visit www.sandiego.gov/crrecc. OB planners seeking board candidates The Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB) will conduct its annual election on Tuesday, March 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave. in Ocean Beach.   Candidate petitions may be obtained from the OBPB or by e-mailing [email protected]. All candidate nomination petitions must be submitted by Feb. 14. Candidates must present to the board a nominating petition signed by at least 35 electors of the OBPB district in which he or she desires to run, must be least 18 years old and meet at least one of the following criteria: • Has been a resident of the OBPB district for at least 30 consecutive days.?• Is the owner of real property situated in the district for at least 30 consecutive days.?• Is a business person with a business address in the district at which employees or operators of the business are located for more than 30 days.  Voters may also place advisory propositions upon the election ballot by submitting a “qualified” proposition petition at a board meeting.  To be qualified, the proposition must be verified by the OBPB secretary as having been signed by 225 electors within the Ocean Beach planning area. The Ocean Beach planning area is bound to the east and south by the middle of Seaside Street from Nimitz Boulevard to Greene Street, the middle of Greene Street from Seaside Street to Froude Street, the middle of Froude Street from Greene Street to Adair Street, the middle of Adair Street from Froude Street to the Pacific Ocean and extending seaward to the city limits. The boundary to the north and east includes the south jetty of the San Diego River to the northward extension of the Famosa Slough Channel Preserve, and south to West Point Loma Boulevard, and the middle of West Point Loma Boulevard to Seaside Street. The planning area is divided into seven districts for purposes of representation; each district is to be represented by two board members. Copies of the map of the planning area are available at www.oceanbeachpb.com. For more information, call (619) 224-1280 or e-mail [email protected].