City of San Diego Retired Employees Association
General Meeting Minutes by Stacey LoMedico
Vice-President Clay Bingham told the members that paid parking in the San Diego Zoo parking lot continues to negatively impact attendance at our monthly General Membership meetings. He reminded the members the REA Board was considering a proposal to hold bi-monthly meetings beginning in 2027. As a part of the decision process, there will be a short survey in the September newsletter regarding this proposal. He encouraged the members to participate.
Natasha Collura of SDCERS reported at the last SDCERS Board meeting staff provided a Board Action Plan for 2027. As part of the plan there is an introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support the goal of providing excellent customer service to the members. Natasha provided a few examples and restated the need for human oversight when using AI.
In closing, she reminded the members that beginning in August, SDCERS will only produce a digital newsletter.
PROGRAM
The program was David Garrick, a San Diego Union Tribune reporter who covers San Diego City Hall. David opened his presentation by saying he receives a majority of his stories by the items docketed at the various City Council Committees. He also receives a lot of “tips” via his email.
David said on occasion he will receive an “angry” email about how he may have covered a particular story, but overall, the feedback he receives after the story is positive. He discussed how his in-depth reporting on the City’s controversial Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) policies over the years has made him “somewhat of an expert” on reporting on ADUs. He is still working on stories related to the topic.
In response to a member’s question, he said there are times when it can be a challenge in getting a city staff member to respond to a request for information or provide a comment on the record. However, he said he feels like he has built a good working relationship with the Communications Department staff.