San Diego County Supervisors

SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORT ADDING AN UNINCORPORATED AREA ADVISORY SEAT TO SANDAG BOARD

 

Action seeks to expand representation for a half million residents in County's unincorporated areas

East County News Service

Map courtesy of the County of San Diego

May 25, 2023 (San Diego)--  On May 23, San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution to support adding representation from the unincorporated area to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Board of Directors. This board action was introduced by Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Supervisor Joel Anderson, both of whom represent the County on the SANDAG Board.

The County’s unincorporated communities are home to more than half-a-million people, making them the region’s second largest population group behind only the City of San Diego. Geographically, the vast majority of the county lies within unincorporated areas.


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MTS LAUNCHES INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT BY NATHAN FLETCHER

Calls grow for Fletcher to step down immediately from Board of Supervisors; second woman claims harassment by Fletcher

By Miriam Raftery

April 9, 2023 (San Diego) – The Metropolitan Transit Board (MTS) on Thursday announced that it will hire outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of sexual assault and harassment made by MTS public information officer Grecia Figueroa  against Nathan Fletcher, ([photo, left), who was chair of MTS at the time.

Grecia was fired on February 6, the date Fletcher announced his intent to run for the State Senate. Fletcher withdrew from that race on March 26 and announced he was entering rehab for PTSD and alcohol abuse. After the MTS allegations surfaced soon after, he  resigned from the MTS board and announced he will resign as Supervisor effective May 15.  Fletcher, who is married with children, has denied sexually assaulting or harassing Figueroa but claimed a “consensual” relationship.

Acting MTS Board Chair Stephen Whitburn issued a statement after a closed-door session of the MTS board,  Whitburn indicated that findings in the independent investigation will be made public. The transit board has also cut off legal support to Fletcher, who must pay for his own defense. ”Mr. Fletcher failed to act in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interest of MTS,” Whitburn stated.


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SUPERVISOR FLETCHER TO RESIGN AFTER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT LAWSUIT FILED

By Miriam Raftery

March 30, 2023 (San Diego) – Last night, San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher announced that he will resign his District 4 seat at the end of his medical leave for treatment of PTSD and alcohol abuse.

The announcement comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed March 28 against Fletcher and the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) by an MTS worker who claims Fletcher harassed and sexually assaulted her on MTS property, and that she was fired by MTS as a result.

Fletcher has called the relationship “consensual’ and a “mistake” but denies harassing or assaulting the plaintiff, Grecia Figueroa, a former TV journalist and MTS spokesperson. Fletcher’s attorney, Danielle Hultenius Moore, alleges that Figueroa tried to extort Fletcher before filing a suit and that Fletcher’s team will be “pursuing our own legal response.


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FREE SPEECH ADVOCATES THREATEN LEGAL ACTION OVER SUPERVISORS’ NEW RULES LIMITING PUBLIC COMMENTS AND INPUT

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  attorney Cory Briggs contends the county’s limits on public comments violate civil rights, free speech rights and open meeting requirements

November 14, 2021 (San Diego) – Last week, San Diego County Supervisors enacted changes limited public input in an effort to address racist and threatening comments made at a recent public meeting. But the new policy goes farther, also eliminating the public’s ability to ask that consent calendar items be fully discussed, severely restricting speaking times and prohibiting group presentations on some topics.


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SUPERVISORS APPROVE BUDGET INCREASE: PRIORITIES INCLUDE HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING

 

By Miriam Raftery

June 27, 2018 (San Diego) – San Diego’s County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a budget of over $6 billion budget for the new fiscal year starting July 1st, an increase of 8.4 percent over last year.


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SUPERVISORS SUPPORT SANCTUARY CHALLENGE

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2018 (San Diego) - By a 3 to 1 margin, San Diego Supervisors voted Tuesday to support the Trump administration’s lawsuit against California over Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act also known as the sanctuary state law.


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SUPERVISORS, BY A ONE-VOTE MARGIN, BAN ALL MARIJUANA SALES PLUS FARMING CANNABIS AND HEMP

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 15, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The majority of voters in San Diego County, including most in unincorporated areas, voted to legalize recreational marijuana.  But instead of heeding voters wishes for more access to pot, San Diego Supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday to outlaw all marijuana sales in unincorporated areas, including medical marijuana.   (Licensed dispensaries already open and those approved for construction will have five years to shut down.) Supervisors also voted to outlaw all farming of marijuana and hemp.


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SUPERVISORS TO WEIGH BANNING ALL MARIJUANA FACILITIES IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS AT MARCH 15 MEETING

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 9, 2017 (San Diego) — On Wednesday, March 15,  San Diego County Supervisors will consider amending zoning regulations to outlaw all marijuana facilities,  medical and recreational.  At a recent meeting, Supervisors instructed staff to draw up language to ban all facilities including shutting down existing lawfully operating dispensaries. However staff is recommending that existing medical marijuana facilities be allowed to stay open.  County staff also recommended that  Supervisors consider possible zoning ordinance amendments to address regulations permitting cannabis farming in agricultural zones, though thus far Supervisors have voiced opposition to requests from farmers seeking to grow cannabis.


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SUPERVISORS VOTE TO EXTEND TRAIL SYSTEMS AND ADD GNATCATCHER HABITAT

 

California Gnatcatcher, Photo via Wikimedia Commons

East County News Service

December 4, 2014 (San Diego)—San Diego County Supervisors voted this week to approve purchase of 345 acres of open land to extend trail systems and to protect habitat for the endangered California gnatcatcher.


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LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT: THIS WEEK'S HOT HEARING ITEMS ACROSS EAST COUNTY

By Miriam Raftery

July 6, 2014 (San Diego's East County) -- Below are some of the newsworthy items on this week's agendas for boards, commissions and councils in East County. Taxes, electronic cigarettes and land use issues are among the hot topics to be discussed in these public meetings.  You can find full agendas and meeting details at the websites for each local governing body.


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EAST COUNTY RESIDENTS ASK COUNTY’S TOP HEALTH OFFICIAL TO REVISE REPORT, RECOGNIZE SERIOUS HEALTH IMPACTS FROM WIND TURBINES

 

By Nadin Abbott and Sierra Robinson;  Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

“This is an epidemic and we need help.” – Rowena Elliott, Manzanita tribal member

(photos left, David and Rowena Elliott)

May 6, 2013 (San Diego) –At a press conference outside the county administration building today, backcountry residents living near wind turbines told the media of serious health conditions they are suffering.  With Wednesday’s vote on a county wind ordinance looming, residents called on the county’s top health official, Wilma Wooten, to revise her report and recognize health concerns linked to wind turbines.

According to Donna Tisdale, President of the Boulevard Planning Group and founder of two community nonprofits, the vote is critical. Supervisors will “either sell us out, remove our human and property rights, or the Board (of Supervisors) will vote to protect the community.” 

If that doesn't happen, residents are prepared to file suit, they said.


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EDITORIAL: SUPERVISORS SEEK TO SQUELCH NOTICE OF PLANNING GROUP MEETINGS, HIDE AGENDAS FROM PUBLIC

By Miriam Raftery

September 15, 2012 (San Diego) – Thanks to Valley Roadrunner editor David Ross for giving us a heads up on County Supervisors’ latest attempt to hide their actions from public scrutiny.  The newest scheme to keep the public in the dark is a proposal that would limit publication of community planning group meetings to a tiny two-by-two inch square ad in print publications—with no agenda included.


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LEGISLATURE PASSES BILL TO HAVE RETIRED JUDGES REDRAW DISTRICT LINES FOR SAN DIEGO SUPERVISORS

 

 
By Miriam Raftery
 
August 28, 2012 (San Diego)—San Diego County Supervisors won’t be able to redraw their own district lines or assign hand-picked appointees to do so if Governor Jerry Brown signs Senate Bill 1331 and San Diego voters approve the new plan. 
 
The bill, authored by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), has passed both houses of the state Legislature.  It would require retired judges to redraw supervisors’ districts starting in 2021. The bill applies only to San Diego County, where Supervisors have been accused of gerrymandering districts to retain power for conservatives. 

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COUNTY PLANNERS APPROVE WIND ORDINANCE, OPEN GATES WIDE FOR INDUSTRIALIZATION OF EAST COUNTY

 

Decision allows industrial-scale wind development across East County and northeast region, including San Diego's scenic mountain, desert and rural areas

By Miriam Raftery

"This is absolutely unneeded and ill advised."--Commissioner Peder Norby

July 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – By a 4-2 vote, San Diego County’s Planning Commission voted Friday to approve a controversial County Wind Energy Ordinance, an amendment to the Boulevard General Plan enabling approval for industrial scale wind turbine projects across vast areas in local mountain, rural and desert areas.  Also approved was an amendment to the Borrego Springs Community Plan to increase flexibility for small turbine projects.   

Communities targeted as prime industrial-scale wind resource areas include Santa Ysabel near Julian, Ranchita, Ocotillo Wells, Boulevard, Campo and Jacumba and other areas under County jurisdiction, as well as many federal recreational and U.S. forest lands as wlell as tribal properties.


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NOT HORSING AROUND, COUNTY MOVES AHEAD ON EQUESTRIAN ORDINANCE

 East County Magazine News Service

 

September 21, 2011 (San Diego)—County Supervisors by a 5-0 vote have approved an expenditure of several hundred thousand dollars to replace "outdated" ordinances and develop regulations for equestrian facilities.

 

The Board rejected Option A, which would have allowed equestrian facilities by right in rural areas. Instead, the County voted to embrace Option B, which aims to require smaller equestrian facilities to pay an annual ministerial fee and provide “best management practices.” Learn more here: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/dplu/advance/Equine.html


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COUNTY SUPERVISORS TO HEAR REDISTRICTING PLAN TODAY AT 2 PM

 

August 2, 2011 (San Diego)--The County Board of Supervisors is set to approve a redistricting plan today in a meeting at 2 p.m. at the county Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 310 in downtown San Diego.

 


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COUNTY DRAWS CRITICISM FOR KEEPING HIGHER THAN AVERAGE RESERVES WHILE FAILING TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO SERVICES FOR ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS IN NEED

By Miriam Raftery

 

June 10, 2011 (San Diego) – A coalition of organizations serving people in need hosted a forum on June 2 at the City Heights Center to voice sharp criticism of San Diego County Supervisors. The criticism stemmed from two new reports by the Center on Policy Initiatives titled San Diego County Revenues and Reserves and County Employees: Overworked and Undermined.

The first report compared California’s 12 largest counties and found that San Diego takes in less revenue and has amassed reserves of $2.2 billion while restricting safety net services amid a recession. The County has left millions of dollars in state and federal aid funds unclaimed even though there are many eligible local residents for programs such as food stamps, CalWorks and Medi-Cal.


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CHEERS: COUNTY APPROVES BOUTIQUE WINERY ORDINANCE


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SUPERVISORS CRACK DOWN ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES IN COUNTY

Restrictive new ordinance passes 4-1, sharply limits sites where dispensaries may locate

“Virtually all of them are either undeveloped land, cement factories, mining operations, even land that’s zoned for treatment of radioactive materials,” -- Kate Valentine of Americans for Safe Access

July 2, 2010 (San Diego) – A restrictive new ordinance passed Wednesday by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will sharply limit locations where medical marijuana dispensaries are allowed and make it extremely costly for operators. The measure passed by a four-to-one vote. Supervisor Ron Roberts cast the lone dissenting vote.

 

“I think we’re violating the spirit of the law,” said Roberts, referring to the ballot initiative approved by California voters 14 years ago to legalize medical marijuana.


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READER'S EDITORIAL: AN OPEN LETTER TO MY SAN DIEGO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

 

"Now you are finally considering zoning and operational ordinances regarding medical marijuana, which you will vote on tomorrow, and what are you proposing to adopt? A de facto ban that would effectively eliminate all medical marijuana facilities from operating in the unincorporated areas of San Diego County." -- Martha Sullivan

 

By Martha Sullivan

 

June 29, 2010 (San Diego)--As someone who is not a medical marijuana patient nor dispensary operator, but simply a taxpayer, voter and small business owner, I find the continuing opposition by my County Board of Supervisors to the Compassionate Use Act passed by California voters 14 years ago an affront to voters and taxpayers.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.