Council District 9 News

June 2, 2023

Hello Lydia,

Public service comes in many forms. For example, there are first responders who run toward emergencies, educators who help students tap into their potential, and public employees who do the dirty work we all depend on. And then there is Martha Zapata.

On the off chance you don’t know her, Martha is our Director of Community Outreach. However, she is so much more than that. Martha has been the driving force behind the dozens and dozens of tons of trash we’ve removed from District 9. She’s been the voice demanding that long-neglected neighborhoods are not made to continue to wait for long-overdue projects. She is the connector who has built bridges across communities. More than anything, she is a champion for our residents, our neighborhoods, and our community. She is the embodiment of public service.

Martha’s retirement from our team will mark the end of her employment with the City, but certainly not her service. Her service has inspired me, our team, and people across the San Diego community. Thank you, Martha!

With gratitude,

Sean

Council District 9 Updates

Congratulations

Martha Zapata

Our beloved Community Representative, Martha Zapata, retires this week after more than 10 years of service at the City. Throughout this time, she has been a champion for her neighborhoods, working tirelessly to resolve the many issues people had in their communities. She was a driving force behind Mt. Hope establishing its first Community Council. Even before she began her second career at the City, Martha helped the residents of Barrio Logan establish a council, providing those residents with community cohesion and a way to advocate for themselves.

Day after day, Martha has listened and did everything she could to help people in neighborhoods that have largely been neglected by the City. A true example of community service, we appreciate her dedication to the community.

While we are so sad to see her go, we realize we were very lucky to have her, and we wish her the best in her retirement.

June Office Hours

The District 9 Office is now taking requests to meet with Council President Elo-Rivera during our June Office Hours. These are opportunities reserved especially for D9 residents to speak directly with the Council President for a 15-minute one-on-one meeting.

Office Hours will be held on Friday, June 16th from 9:30am-12pm either in-person or virtually, and appointments are RSVP-ONLY. To be added to the interest list, please email your Community Representative (find yours here) with the following information:

Full name
Email address
Phone number
Preferred time

Your Community Representative will then follow up on your submission and the scheduler will send an appointment to confirm the meeting the week of Office Hours. We look forward to hearing from you!

Appointments to the Commission on Police Practices

The San Diego City Council recently nominated several members of the community to serve on the Commission on Police Practices. This is a major step in the process of establishing the Commission which will have investigatory powers when review police misconduct. In November of 2020, San Diego residents voted overwhelming in favor of Measure B which mandated the establishment of the Commission of Police Practices.

After open and transparent process of taking community input, creating an ordinance and a year of legal negotiations, the Commission is closer to being a truly independent and self-sufficient body. Soon the newly appointed commissioners will be trained and establish their own policies and procedures. These are all necessary steps to establish the City’s first strong independent commission for police oversight.

Congratulations to Eric Dargan

We’d like to express our congratulations and appreciation to Eric Dargan, the City of San Diego’s Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Dargan has dedicated his life to public service and his recently earned recognition as of one of the country’s top 10 public works leaders is well deserved.

We are fortunate to have Mr. Dargan here in the City of San Diego. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise which have been instrumental as we fix and update our city’s infrastructure. He’s an incredibly hard worker whose attention to detail is unparalleled. His presence and contributions to the city have been widely felt. We look forward to continuing working with Mr. Dargan in the years ahead.

Colibri MX Scholarship

The Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego, in partnership with MAAC, has once again launched the Colibrí MX Scholarship. This $1,000 dollar scholarship aims to provide Mexican or Latinx students in San Diego County with the resources and support they need to start and/or continue their journey towards a college degree.

Students who are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program or are undocumented can also apply for a supplementary $500 USD scholarship.

The application is open until June 30, 2023. For more information on how to apply, visit: maacproject.org/colibrimx

El Consulado General de México en San Diego, en alianza con MAAC, ha lanzado una vez más la Beca Colibrí MX. Esta beca de $ 1,000 dólares tienen como objetivo proporcionar a los estudiantes mexicanxs o latinxs en el condado de San Diego con los recursos y el apoyo que necesitan para comenzar y / o continuar su camino hacia un título universitario.

Aquellos estudiantes elegibles dentro del programa de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA, por sus siglas en inglés) o son indocumentados también pueden solicitar una beca suplementaria de $ 500 USD.

La solicitud estará abierta hasta el 30 de junio de 2023. Para obtener más información sobre cómo aplicar, visité: maacproject.org/colibrimx

Get It Done Reporting

The City of San Diego's Get It Done program can be used to report problems related to City assets, making appointments for Passport services or to schedule time at the City’s Household Hazardous Waste Materials drop-off facility.

Do not use Get It Done for reporting emergencies or other time-sensitive issues. It can take up to 48 hours to review your report or request for appointment. For more information, visit: sandiego.gov/get-it-done/outreach

Submit A Report

What We're Reading, Watching, and Listening

In this section, Council President Elo-Rivera and our team share a few things we’ve seen and heard that have influenced or impacted us since our last email. Take a look and give these items a read or watch:

Read: "Our Work Is Everywhere: An Illustrated Oral History of Queer and Trans Resistance" – Syan Rose

Watch: "San Diego among large US cities with lowest crime rates" – Fox 5 San Diego

Listen: "Reparations" – Freeway Exit