Dear Neighbor,

Law enforcement families everywhere have long struggled with childcare challenges. Many officers’ shifts are outside standard daycare hours, making it nearly impossible to find childcare options with the necessary flexibility.

Here in San Diego, we felt we had a responsibility to law enforcement and their families to help address this burden on our officers.

I’m thrilled to announce that we broke ground on a solution: the nation’s first-ever childcare center customized to meet the needs of law enforcement. The center will offer employees extended hours and affordable rates. KinderCare, the approved childcare provider, will also pay its employees 20 percent above market-rate salaries.

This facility is part of our comprehensive effort to ensure SDPD is attracting and retaining officers at a time when careers in law enforcement being more demanding than ever. (Read more about some of our recruitment efforts in the newsletter below.)

This innovative project is the result of a collaboration between the City, the San Diego Police Officers Association and Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, who helped fund the initiative by securing a $3 million in state grants. KinderCare and the Cushman Foundation’s Making a Difference for San Diego grant program provided additional philanthropic support.

We first announced this childcare center back in 2022, and since then, law enforcement agencies across the nation have reached out to us for guidance to replicate this childcare model for their police departments.

I love to see San Diego lead on issues as important as ensuring our police have the resources they need to keep us safe.

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor.

How To Help Asylum Seekers as They Make Their Way Through San Diego

Last Thursday, the pandemic-era Title 42 policy came to an end and border cities like ours braced themselves for the potential impacts.

The City is continuing to work with and support the County of San Diego, which is the lead agency on the response to the impacts of Title 42 within our border region’s 18 cities.

Many San Diegans have seen the images and heard the stories of people at the border and have asked how they can help.

Two nonprofit organizations, Jewish Family Service and Catholic Charities, are operating migrant shelters and providing services to those in passage through San Diego. Here are ways you can assist:

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS)

In-Kind Donations

JFS and the San Diego Rapid Response Network Migrant Shelter Services accept in-kind donations ordered from their amazon wish list: rapidresponsesd.org/wishlist

Airport/Greyhound Guide

Help shelter guests navigate the ins and outs of transportation by serving

as a guide! Volunteer shifts are available 7 days a week with peak times

ranging from 4:00-8:00am and 4:00-8:00pm daily.

Shelter Operations

If you have daytime availability and are comfortable being on your feet,

this is a great role for you! Shelter Operations volunteers help on-site

with packing and delivering snacks for our guests from 12:00-3:00 pm and

6:00-8:00pm daily.

Learn more and apply at  www.jfssd.org/sheltervolunteer

Questions? Email  [email protected]

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities, Diocese of San Diego is looking for volunteers and clothing donations. New and lightly used clothes, bottled water, hygiene kits can be dropped off to the address below.

4575 Mission Gorge Road, Suite A

San Diego CA, 92120

Donations can be dropped off Monday–Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm

If you are interested in volunteering, you can contact [email protected]. You can also visit CCDSD.ORG.

The City's Office of Immigrant Affairs also has more resources for immigrants and those who want to help or just learn more.

Service-Minded Folks Invited to Learn about Job Opportunities with the San Diego Police Department

The San Diego Police Department is hiring!

Our second annual Pave the Way Expo is happening Saturday, June 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Save the date and come out next month to learn more about law enforcement careers in various units including SWAT, communications, the K-9 unit and the Homeless Outreach Team.

Potential candidates can learn about available positions, the hiring process, training and opportunities for promotions or other assignments as their career advances.

If you’re a service-minded person, or you know someone who is, a career with the SDPD is a great way to give back to your city and help ensure it remains one of the safest big cities in America.

Seasoned SDPD officers will be on hand at the expo to provide an inside look into a career in law enforcement. Attendees will also be able to try the Force Option Simulator, where they will get to experience scenarios as a San Diego Police officer.

The free event is open to anyone ages 18 and older. Anyone interested in attending should email [email protected] to reserve their spot.

A Better Climate Future for All of Us

The City is working hard to implement our Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a healthy environment for all our residents.

One of the largest sources of emissions is the use of fossil fuels like natural gas in buildings. Indoor combustion also leads to poor air quality and health risks.

The City has taken steps to put all municipal facilities on track to eliminate fossil fuel use. We have also been busy drafting amendments to our building code to ensure new buildings being constructed align with our Climate Action Plan goals and the latest public health research.

We’d like your feedback on these draft amendments at an upcoming virtual Town Hall. It’s happening at 11:30 a.m. May 16 and Spanish interpretation is available. Register here and email questions to [email protected].

May is A Great Month to Support Small Business

May is Small Business Month in California, and I encourage San Diegans to make an extra effort this month to support our small businesses. It’s a great opportunity to try out a locally owned, independent bookshop or clothing store this month instead of a national chain.

I know the big impact our small businesses have on San Diego. That’s why we provided more than $6 million in grants to small businesses throughout San Diego to help them get through the pandemic. We made sure to prioritize businesses in economically underserved areas that that hadn’t yet received federal COVID relief funding.

Those grants were a much-needed opportunity for family-owned businesses to rebuild their livelihoods. And now, I’m happy to report that many local small businesses are back on track -- and in many cases, stronger than ever.

As Mayor of this wonderful City, I encourage you all to invest in San Diego's entrepreneurs and business leaders by supporting our small business community this May.

GETTING IT DONE: FIXING OUR STREETS

La Jolla Parkway Repaving

La Jolla Parkway repaving is underway! The westbound side of La Jolla Parkway will be closed overnight for construction activity from 9:30 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. tonight and tomorrow to allow crews to repair and repave the street.

MAYOR GLORIA AROUND TOWN

Celebrating Native Culture and Customs

What a beautiful celebration Saturday at the 35th annual Balboa Park Pow Wow! As the first San Diego Mayor with Native blood, I take great pride in celebrating Native heritage and traditions. This event shares the beauty of Native customs and culture with all San Diegans through food, music, dance and more.

Coming Together to Celebrate Rancho Peñasquitos

Over the weekend, I got to celebrate the Rancho Peñasquitos community at the 26th annual Fiesta de los Peñasquitos. RPQ is a culturally rich community, and a great place to live, work and play.  I know how hard the community worked to make this festival happen and I loved seeing so many neighbors coming together!

Casa Familiar’s 50 Years of Serving San Ysidro and the South Bay

I headed to the U.S.-Mexico border over the weekend and helped kick off Casa Familiar’s annual Abrazo Run and Walk. Casa Familiar is celebrating 50 years of serving San Ysidro and neighboring communities in the South Bay. They are a crucial partner in helping to support and uplift these communities.

Honoring 40 Years of Peacemaking

Congratulations to all this year's honorees at the National Conflict Resolution Center's Peacemaker Awards! For 40 years, the NCRC has worked to drive positive change through conflict prevention and conflict resolution trainings. They are truly making a difference every day, not only here in San Diego, but across the country.

Annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast

I was happy to join fellow LGBTQ elected officials and community members as well as allies to celebrate the late Harvey Milk at the annual breakfast hosted by the San Diego LGBTQ Community Center. Many thanks to Nicole Murray Ramirez who launched this event, which designed to bring together diverse San Diegans including folks from business, labor, Democrats, Republicans and other San Diegans who support equality and justice.

COMMUNITY UPDATES

Claim Your Money

The City of San Diego is urging anyone who did business with the City to check and see if you might be owed a refund or payment. According to the City’s Unclaimed Monies Report, there is $833,165 in unclaimed monies that can be returned to more than 900 people and businesses. Check amounts range from $1 to $80,600. Updated quarterly and free of charge, anyone can review the Unclaimed Monies Report at any time or file a claim.

Unclaimed monies are checks owed to people or businesses due to refunds or vendor payments. The City regularly issues checks based on the addresses it has on file and, on occasion, receives returned checks that are undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service. Checks that are returned to the City and remain uncashed after six months become unclaimed monies.

Payees have approximately one year after check issuance to claim their money. For checks issued before April 1, 2022, the last day to submit a claim is Monday, June 19, 2023. Unclaimed funds will be transferred to the City of San Diego General Fund on July 1, 2023. To search for unclaimed money or to file a claim, visit sandiego.gov/finance/unclaimed.

To submit a claim, print and complete the Unclaimed Monies Form and mail it to:

City of San Diego, Department of Finance

Unclaimed Monies Claim Processing

202 C St. – Mail Station 7A

San Diego, CA 92101

Once the claim is verified, a check will be issued in three to four weeks. Questions about unclaimed monies may be submitted to [email protected] or 619-236-6310.

Help the City Invest in Arts and Culture

The City has launched an effort to engage communities across San Diego on how we should invest in arts in culture across our city. It’s San Diego’s first-ever cultural planning process, and once complete, it will guide our investments in arts and culture in every community.

Called “The Creative City,” this cultural planning process will result in a seven to 10-year plan aligning art and culture with the priorities of the City.

All San Diegans are encouraged to get involved in the engagement process, which starts in June and will include two Creative City public forums. Public discussion pop-ups will also be held in all nine City Council districts through July, along with the launch of a public survey.

Here’s how you can get involved.

Hazard Dashboard

The City has launched the San Diego Hazard Dashboard, a new tool to update the public on current weather conditions, potential environmental threats and other regional incidents. This accessible online tool is aimed at providing timely information to everyone on one central website.

Users can choose from a variety of alternatives to view the most recent risks and hazards, such as earthquakes, power outages, and various weather updates. A recent example of this benefiting the public is in alerting everyone about the recent 2023 wind and rainstorms. Everyone will be able to better prepare for freak rainstorms, unplanned power outages, and more.

The Hazard Dashboard is not intended to alert citizens of emergency situations. This is only aimed at alerting citizens of possible hazards.

New Shuttle Service Coming Soon to Pacific Beach

The City, in partnership with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), is launching a neighborhood electric vehicle shuttle service in the Pacific Beach community this summer.

The all-electric, low-speed shuttle will provide a new, fun and sustainable way to travel to popular beach destinations. The shuttle will also provide a convenient and direct connection to and from the Balboa Transit Station, helping folks better move around the region without relying on a car.

Help the City understand your transportation experience in Pacific Beach by taking this short survey.

Use this interactive map to identify potential route stops. Once community feedback is received, the City will put the information — and the shuttle — to use.

We also need your help naming our #PacificBeach neighborhood electric vehicle shuttle service. We’re down to the top four names. Which is your favorite? Submit your vote at here.

Read past newsletters

Office of the Mayor

202 C St., 11th Floor

San Diego, CA 92101

619-236-6330

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