Recent emotionally charged local issues, such as the Clairemont Community Plan Update, ADU overreach, the proposed Montgomery Field Airport expansion, exorbitant trash fees, and the increase in paid parking citywide, seem to have awoken a sleeping giant. San Diego residents are more interested and more vocal than ever about issues affecting their community. But are they showing up where and when it matters?
Stronger community connection leads to higher interest in local news & meetings
While social media and platforms like Nextdoor are abuzz with people talking (or arguing) about local issues, attendance at town council and community planning group meetings is typically low. Additionally, attendees tend to lean toward the gray-haired demographic, with little representation from younger generations. The correlation between homeownership among young adults and participation in community issues can’t be ignored. People are more actively involved in issues where they feel like they have skin in the game, and that is more likely to happen when you own a home where local policies can have a direct impact on you.
Higher homeownership rates, age, and income levels contribute to increased community meeting attendance
A 2014 survey by the National Research Center found that only 24% of all adults had attended a local public meeting, and 86% of those under age 35 had never attended. Other factors, such as time spent in the community, socioeconomic status, and race, were also correlated with attendance. If you’ve lived in a community for more than 10 years, you’re more likely to have attended a local meeting.
More Americans are turning to digital sources for local news
Connection to a community is also what drives engagement with local news. A 2024 Pew Research study found that 66% of Americans who feel a strong connection to their community also expressed that local news outlets are extremely important. That percentage declined with one’s sense of attachment to the community. Sadly, a mere 7% of those polled in a National Civic League survey said they have a strong sense of belonging to their community.
With eroding trust in media and the decline of local news sources, more people are turning to digital sources for local topics. Fifty-two percent of adults say they get local news from forums like Facebook or Nextdoor. This helps explain why it can feel like everyone is talking while the community meeting rooms are half-empty.
Unfortunately, while being a keyboard warrior on social media outlets might feel like you’re contributing, it does little, if anything, to move the needle of change. The better alternative is to become proactively involved in your neighborhood town council and community planning groups.
You don’t need to be on the groups’ boards. Simply show up to learn about changes in your community. And if something is presented that you disagree with, speak up. This is what helped save Being Fit Gym from certain closure at the Clairemont Town Square.
When asked why he attends local meetings, Darrel Madison, Clairemont resident and president of the Tecolote Canyon Citizens Advisory Committee, said, “When local community members don’t show up to advocate for themselves, and don’t get involved in the decision-making process, a great many important decisions are going to be made for them by people outside of their community who don’t share their interests, and who won’t have to live with the consequences of those decisions.”
Ways to participate in local community governance
In the aforementioned National Civic League poll, people surveyed expressed interest in being more civically involved, noting several factors that would encourage them to participate, including digital options (such as online meetings). Nearly half said they’d be more active if leaders and residents worked together more directly.
If you’re ready to dip your toe into the local civics pool and want to learn how you can get involved, there are several options: town council meetings, community planning group meetings, and City Council meetings. Town council and community planning group meetings are primarily volunteer-run organizations, staffed by local residents.
Community Planning Groups
San Diego began establishing community planning groups (CPGs) in the 1960s, recognizing them as “formal mechanisms for community input in the land use decision-making process.” While CPGs don’t have any approval or denial power over projects, they are well respected, and their input is highly considered when the City makes decisions.
You might wonder what is actually covered during a CPG meeting. Topics can range from rezoning commercial space to residential space to discussions of ADU projects or infrastructure changes, such as sewer projects or bike lane installations. A Clairemont Community Planning Group meeting is where news of a Trader Joe’s opening in Clairemont Town Square broke.
CPG’s are advisory committees that focus on land use, development, and planning. They are where neighborhood-level land-use debates occur before projects are sent up the chain to the San Diego City Council.
CPG meetings typically occur monthly, but each neighborhood varies in its cadence. If you’d like to attend the next meeting in your neighborhood, refer to the list below:
Do you own or help run a small business in town?
- Clairemont Mesa Community Planning Group (includes Bay Park): Meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month (except August and December) at the Cathy Hopper Friendship Center; no virtual options
- Kearny Mesa Community Planning Group: Meets virtually on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 11:30 am
- Linda Vista Community Planning Group: Meets the 4th Monday of each month at 6:15 pm at the American Legion Post 731
- Serra Mesa Community Planning Group: Meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 pm at the Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library; virtual meeting options
To stay in the loop, subscribe to receive notifications from the City for the planning group(s) you’re interested in. There are also a whole host of other topics you can opt in to receive city emails about, such as housing policy updates or planning commission updates.
Town/Community Council Meetings
There’s often confusion between what differentiates a planning group from a town/community council, and there’s overlap, so it’s understandable. Councils and planning groups often cover similar topics, but council meetings are more focused on community building, public safety, and local events.
A typical council meeting agenda might include a report from a local police officer on public safety statistics and recommendations, a presentation from a community advocacy group, and a discussion of using grant money to fund a local block party or artwork.
Town council and CPG meetings are often attended by representatives of local government officials, such as the mayor, senator, assembly member, council members, and county supervisor. Occasionally, the officials will attend themselves.
Like CPG meetings, council meetings typically meet monthly. Here are the local town and community council meeting schedules and locations:
- Clairemont Town Council: Meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6 pm at the Cathy Hopper Friendship Center
- Linda Vista Town Council: Meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 6 pm at the Baha’i Center; virtual options
- Serra Mesa Community Council: Meets on the fourth Wednesday of January, March, May, and September at 6:30 pm at the Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library; virtual meeting options
City Council Meetings
City Council meetings are the big league of local meetings. They are where neighborhood issues get pushed upstream and actually voted on. City Council meetings are attended by district council members who vote on City laws, discuss policy matters, land use/zoning, and, of course, the budget.
Members of the public may attend City Council meetings in person or virtually. You also have an opportunity to speak at the meetings. Most residents who participate in local governance usually reserve attending City Council meetings for highly-charged topics.
There are also various committee meetings that the public can attend. The full legislative calendar is posted on the City’s website.
If you’re passionate about your community or simply curious about local governance, attend the next local meeting in your neighborhood. You might be surprised how much you learn.
Great piece on what our community needs more of…can you share this out with the press? Thanks again for all you do and the writing is brilliant as usual!
The current election for D2 SDCC will carry enormous consequences for a district besieged by an assault on private property rights and more. Yet voters are swayed by monied candidates who seek powerful endorsements to entice the electorate to support them via social psychological means. This is preposterous, weak, and totally disingenuous. www. dannytri.org