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Years
Vol. 65 No. 2 | Thursday, January 9, 2025
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Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 65 Years
FOOTNOTE 7 VOTE: ‘SHOW UP TO CITY COUNCIL AND VOICE YOUR GAME’
Following the Planning Commissioners’ recommendation, the San Diego City Council is set to vote on the future of Footnote 7 and development projects that relied on it By Macy Meinhardt VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER In the coming weeks, the San Diego City Council will produce a final vote on the removal of Footnote 7, a regulation within city zoning laws that allows for an increase in housing density exclusive to neighborhoods in Southeastern San Diego. The footnote served as the basis for two housing projects currently in the pipeline, the Klauber Development off Kelton Road, and development at the Emerald Hills radio tower site.
Regardless of whether the footnote is removed, the challenge residents and community activists now face is getting the two projects reliant on the footnote to be halted completely, citing that the permitting process violated planning rules and procedures. The national development company behind the projects, D.R. Horton, could bring up to 80 new homes into the neighborhood. But, residents say their neighborhood is in no shape to support it, nor were they given an adequate say in how the developments came about. See FOOTNOTE 7 page 2
Notice of project application sign posted in front of the Radio Tower hill off Old Memory Lane and 60th Street in the Emerald Hills neighborhood, Jan. 3, 2025. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/Voice & Viewpoint Staff
‘PERSONAL SAFETY’ AT CRUX OF SUPERVISOR CHAIR VARGAS DEPARTURE By Macy Meinhardt VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER With elections concluded and year-end meetings winding down, San Diegans settling into the holiday season received a surprised message from San Diego Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas on the afternoon of Dec. 20. Former San Diego Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Vargas, standing with former District 4 Supervisor Nathan Fletcher in June 2023. Vargas' departure will lead to the second special election in two years for the county to replace a leader who resigned. PHOTO: San Diego County News Center
“I’ve decided to conclude my tenure as County Supervisor, completing my first
After a sweeping campaign where the supervisor won back her seat by 62% of the votes, Chairwoman Vargas was set to take another oath of office alongside her supervisor colleagues on Monday, Jan.6.
as supervisor, Vargas’ 300-word departure statement reflects on her 30 years of service to the county. Chairwoman Vargas served on the 12-member California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) board and spent seven years on the Southwestern College Governing Board, South County San Diego’s only public higher education institution.
As the first Latina to be elected to serve
See VARGAS page 2
term this January 6, 2025. Due to personal safety and security reasons, I will not take the oath of office for a second term,” her statement reads.
PROPOSITION 36 14 NEW CALIFORNIA LAWS
BECOMES LAW YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWSWIRE
Proposition 36, which passed with 68% of the vote in November, officially takes effect today in California and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said her office is committed to successfully implementing the transformational proposition in partnership with the Sheriff, county’s police chiefs and the community. This proposition addresses three key public safety issues plaguing our communities: • Repeat retail theft affecting small and large businesses and impacting the safety of their employees and their customers. • Fentanyl and methamphetamine dealers who are poisoning individuals across the county and fueling crime. • Untreated drug addiction and related behavioral health issues causing overdose deaths that disproportionately impact a substantial portion of persons who are homeless. The new law provides stricter consequences for repeat theft offenders, those who are committing smash and grab retail crimes, and organized theft rings, which will stop the cycle of recidivism. The new law will also require convicted dealers of fentanyl and hard drugs to receive a warning that the next time they sell illegal drugs and someone dies, they will be held responsible for a victim’s death. The law provides additional consequences for illegal drug dealers who cause great bodily injury or death. Importantly, the new law incentivizes lifesaving treatment for defendants suffering from addiction by mandating treatment as an alternative to incarceration, addressing the root cause of many crimes. See PROP 36 page 2
PHOTO: Courtesy of CBM
By Edward Henderson CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA Several new laws took effect on Jan. 1 in California that may impact your job, business, finances, privacy, family, and day-today life. During the last legislative session, lawmakers introduced 4,821 bills (1,530 in the State Senate and 3,291 in the Assembly). Of those bills, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 1,017 of them into law and vetoed 189 of them. Along with the bills the Governor signed into law, other new laws signed in previ-
ous years also took effect on Jan. 1. California Black Media combed through our new state laws and highlighted 14 new laws you should definitely be aware of: 1. AB 2622 – Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale). Raises dollar limit from $500 to $1000 for home projects that require licensed contractors.
3. AB 2017 – Sen. Timothy Grayson (D-Concord). Eliminates extra fees for declined transactions. Statechartered banks and credit unions can no longer charge you a fee for declined transactions because your balance is too low. See LAWS page 2
2. AB 413 – Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-Milpitas). Makes it illegal to park a vehicle within 20 feet of any unmarked or marked crosswalk or 15 feet of any crosswalk where a curb extension is present.
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