Ellis Pushes Bill to Make Port Commission Elective

Saying that the San Diego Unified Port District has a greater impact on the county’s economy than any other governmental body, Sen. Jim Ellis (R-San Diego) introduced a bill Friday that would change membership on the commission from appointive to elective positions.

Ellis also introduced a companion measure that would require port districts statewide to consider the social and economic impact on all people in the area when they consider leases on land it owns.

The second bill recognizes the need for tourist and recreational facilities within the port district, Ellis said, but not at the expense of maritime industries. If the measure passes, tenants with grievances about the commission’s leasing policies could appeal to the State Lands Commission. The commission would forward its findings to various legislative committees.

Electing port district commissioners would make them “responsible to all the folks in the district, rather than the city councils,” said Ellis, speaking at a press conference attended by about 50 supporters of his legislation.

The commissioners’ “constituents right now are the tenants,” Ellis said. “And it appears from the reaction right here that they are not satisfied with the way they are treated as tenants.”

Changing any position from an appointed to an elected one “makes any governmental body more responsive to the people,” he said.

San Diego has three members on the San Diego Unified Port District commission. National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and Coronado have one each. Current members could remain on the commission if they were elected.

Ellis said one of the reasons behind the legislation on port rental policies was complaints from port tenants that current leasing policies were making it impossible for them to stay in business. The Port District’s current policy states that the district must seek fair market value for its properties.

Based on that formula, Ellis said, rent increases proposed by the board in January ranged from 2.6% to 507.3% and threaten to put smaller tenants out of business. Ellis said he hopes this legislation would allow such industries as shipyards and fishing operations to remain in business.

The bill on port rental policies “has good universal support,” Ellis said, and he thinks it will pass without problems. Ellis said he doesn’t think making commissioners run for office will politicize the commission any more than it already is.

“The San Diego City Council took about two months to appoint somebody,” Ellis said, referring to the council’s attempt to fill a vacancy created when Commissioner Maureen O’Connor’s term ended in January. “They had two people vying for the position and the council was split between political lines,” he said.

Louis Wolfsheimer, who has served on the commission for six years, said he thinks the citizens of the district are well-protected under the chain of command that exists between the city councils and the commission.

Ben Cohen, an eight-year member of the commission, said, “I think it’s bad legislation. . . . We are responsible to our individual city councils. If they don’t think we are operating properly, they can remove us.”

San Diego Councilman Uvaldo Martinez said he had not discussed the legislation with Ellis. But he said, “I don’t support the legislation and I don’t see how I would.”