Supervisor Anderson to introduce measure to help those stranded, seek funds from FEMA – and asks public to sign petition in support

By Miriam Raftery

View video of interview with Sup. Joel Anderson

Hear audio of our interview aired on KNSJ Radio

December 31, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – With extreme cold gripping much of the nation and shelters for asylum-seekers full, the federal government sent hundreds to San Diego County. Border Patrol agents dumped at least 880 asylum seekers off at transit stations, including 140 abandoned at the El Cajon Transit Center last weekend starting on Christmas Eve.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Robert Gehr: A homeless person sleeps in a tent on Main Street in downtown El Cajon.

November 24, 2022 (El Cajon) –  El Cajon’s grant application to purchase property to build a homeless shelter has been rejected by the County. According to El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell, County staff informed him that  the grant was rejected because “the City did not own the property that was being proposed for the shelter – in other words, the City did not own the property that the grant was intended to purchase.”

Mitchell, in an email sent to El Cajon’s Mayor and City Council, said he told County staff in a pre-grant question and answer session that the city intended to apply for a grant to buy land for a shelter.  “The response was that the city should still apply and explain how the site will be obtained,” he wrote.  “During their follow-p questions of the City’s grant application, they asked for an update and we indicated that an appraisal was on its way and that the formal offer was about to be made.”

The application was made through the County’s Capital Emergency Housing Solutions Grant Program, for which Supervisor Joel Anderson had urged East County cities including El Cajon to apply.

East County News Service

Photo by Shiloh  Ireland: homeless man pores through rubble of burned encampment along San Diego River in Lakeside

September 23, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- In an internal memo to County Chief Administrative Office, Helen Robbins-Meyer sent on September 12, Supervisor Joel Anderson, who represents East County communities of District 2, asked if staff had looked into the possibility of establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County and jurisdictions along the San Diego River, such as the San Diego River Park Foundation, and the Cities of San Diego and Santee. The goal of this MOU would be to address homelessness along the San Diego River.

By Henri Migala

August 31, 2022 (Julian) -- Joel Anderson, County Supervisor for District 2, held a Community Coffee Town Hall meeting in Julian on August 11.  Approximately 100 residents filled Julian’s historic town hall to discuss issues of concern, ranging from fire safety and road improvements to animal control and the exceptionally high cost of fire insurance, and many other matters of concern to residents.

By Miriam Raftery

June 8, 2022 (San Diego) – Supervisor Joel Anderson plans to introduce 16 measures at the June 15 Board of Supervisors meeting, which he hopes to have included in the County’s Cannabis Permitting Program. He is also asking constituents to sign a petition in support.

East County News Service

March 21, 2022 (San Diego) - On March 15, 2022, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve a Board Letter introduced by Supervisors Jim Desmond (District 5) and Joel Anderson (District 2). The purpose of this Board Letter was to direct the Chief Administrative Officer to urge the Governor and State Legislature to suspend the State gas tax for one year.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Sheriff recruits, via San Diego Sheriff’s Department

January 30, 2022 (San Diego) – San Diego County Supervisors on January 25 unanimously approved a request by East County Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond to resolve an anticipated shortage of law enforcement officers as vaccine mandates, retirements, COVID-19, recruitment and retention issues impact staffing levels.

By Miriam Raftery

View our interview by clicking the image at left.

November 18, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego County Supervisors on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve Supervisor Joel Anderson’s proposal aimed at expanding access to local lakes where hours have been cut back during the pandemic.

The measure directs the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation to start discussions with outside agencies managing East County lakes and reservoirs, with a goal to keep reservoirs open for recreational activities.

"These are great, COVID-approved recreational activities for families," Anderson said of hiking, fishing, boating and other lake-related opportunities. In an interview with East County Magazine also aired on KNSJ radio, he added, "I wanted to fulfill my campaign promise in the first year."

By Miriam Raftery

October 10, 2021 (El Cajon) – On Tuesday, October 12, the El Cajon City Council will consider a city staff proposal to ask County Supervisors to opt out of the state’s Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) program. The proposal before the City Council, item 12 on the agenda, comes after Supervisors Joel Anderson and Nora Vargas introduced a MEHKO measure in September that was approved in concept by Supervisors, as ECM reported. 

The county measure asked staff to draft an ordinance by January 12 to legalize home kitchen operations to prepare, sell and serve up to 30 meals per day, or 60 meals per week and earn a maximum annual revenue of $50,000. Meals would be limited to foods that are consumed the same day that they are prepared.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of the Pentagon: U.S. troops help evacuate Afghan refugees

October 8, 2021 (San Diego) – San Diego Supervisors voted unanimously this week to adopt a proposal by East County Supervisor Joel Anderson to have the County Office of immigrant and Refugee Affairs work with refugee resettlement agencies to assist with a wave of Afghan refugees arriving in our region. The board also approved Anderson’s plan to ask the federal government to spend part of $9.5 billion in frozen Taliban assets to pay for refugee resettlements.

In addition, Supervisors approved a proposal by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to create an Afghan Resettlement Task Force.

With the Taliban takeover of the country, those who helped American troops as translators or in other capacities faced risk of death if they remained, as did women’s rights and human rights advocates. Many fled Afghanistan with few personal possessions.

Anderson stated, “I am thankful that my colleagues recognize the importance of this measure that will ensure San Diego County is ready to welcome these refugees into our communities.” He added that his East County district has a large population of Afghans and others with Middle Eastern heritage.”

Update August 31, 2021:  One local family with three Children in the Cajon Valley district has been left behind after the U.S. troop withdrawal,  10 News supports. A district spokesperson said they are exploring ways to bring them home.  The other Cajon Valley familes have been safely evacuated and some students are now back in school. 

Over 104,000 civilians have been evacuated by U.S. in past 10 days; airlifts continue despite bombings as Biden vows retaliations against ISIS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of the Pentagon: U.s. Air Force personnel help evacuate Afghan civilians at the Kabul airport on Aug. 24

August 26, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – After today’s deadly terrorist attacks near the Kabul airport, concerns are heightened over the fate of some Cajon Valley Union School District students and their families. Around two dozen students and their families who traveled to visit relatives became trapped in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, the district announced earlier this week.

Today, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that four of the local families have escaped and two have arrived safely in Southern California. But the whereabouts of five other local families, including 14 children, remains unknown.

By Miriam Raftery

May 9, 2021 (San Diego) – San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a measure to increase public notification regarding locations of registered sex offenders and proposed placements of sexually violent predators in communities. Supervisor Joel Anderson introduced the measure, which was amended at the request of Supervisor Jim Desmond to also include Native American communities.

Anderson says that existing notifications “do not provide adequate notice to communities where sex offenders will be located.” In a written statement to the board, Anderson indicated that after sending questions to the District Attorney and Sheriff regarding the placement process and notification procedures, “there are inconsistencies and omissions in the answers we received.”

By Miriam Raftery

April 23, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Thousands of residents signed petitions, sent letters and/or testified against placement of sexually violent predator Douglas Badger at 10957 Horizon Hills in unincorporated El Cajon. Public officials also spoke out to oppose the plan. While the community awaits the judge’s decision on the proposed release of Badger, which would be supervised by Liberty Healthcare, placement of a second SVP, Merle Wakefield, at the same address has triggered new outrage and a planned rally tomorrow to oppose the action.

The community plans a “Sexual Violent Predator Placement Protest” on Saturday, April 24 at 3 p.m. in the cul-de-sac at Horizon Hills Drive and Estates Way.  Comments on placement of Wakefield are due by April 26 and can be sent to sdsafe@sdsheriff.org or by calling (858)495-3619.  Residents may also contact Governor Gavin Newsom to ask that he issue an order requiring Wakefield and Badger be housed in a trailer at a state correctional facility instead of at the Horizon Hills site near Mt. Helix.

By Skye Ryder

Image:  Artist's rendering of a reimagined Chase Bank in La Mesa, topped by a Sky tram station.

April 1, 2021 (La Mesa) -- Sky rides at the San Diego Zoo and Sea World are among the most popular attractions for visitors. Now an aerial gondola adventure is coming to East County.

The idea is a joint proposal by East County’s newly elected Supervisor Joel Anderson and La Mesa City Councilman Colin Parent, also a spokesman for Circulate San Diego, which promotes advancing mobility choices for communities across our region.

Back in 2017, then-County Supervisor Ron Roberts suggested expanding the ride to downtown San Diego.  Roberts said,  “I was looking at the zoo ride, and I was thinking, ‘You know what, if we just kept going across the freeway to Sixth Avenue and went downtown.’ That would be fun.”

The current board of Supervisors is now embracing that concept – and carrying it a step further. (Read more)

Update: This was unanimously approved by Supervisors.

By Miriam Raftery

March 4, 2021 (El Cajon) – San Diego County Supervisors will hold a hearing March 17 on construction of a proposed distribution warehouse that the developer plans to lease to Amazon.com.

The site, which is zoned industrial, is located at the northwest corner of Cuyamaca Street and Weld Blvd. near Gillespie Field. Although the County owns the land, the city of El Cajon has land use authority, but has not yet approved the project.

At a Supervisors’ meeting this week, the county delayed action until environmental studies can be reviewed. The County is relying on an environmental review done by the city of El Cajon in 2009 for a separate project, but public speakers contended that an updated environmental impact study is needed along with review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).