The San Diego Community Power board on April 24 voted to amend its Board and Committee Compensation and Reimbursement Policy, increasing the per‑diem for advisory committee members from $100 to $150, expanding qualifying activities to include outreach events and other official business, and increasing the monthly per‑diem cap to six meetings when a member serves on multiple bodies.

Why it matters: Directors said the change recognizes increasing demands on committee members and community engagement; staff estimated an additional fiscal impact of up to $55,200 per year.

Key points from the discussion

- Legal basis: staff said the changes are authorized under California Government Code section 53232.2.

- Opt‑out: Board members raised equity concerns for members who are full‑time elected officials receiving compensation from their jurisdictions. Legal staff noted a member may choose not to accept the per‑diem; the board agreed an opt‑out mechanism is the preferred approach rather than imposing eligibility thresholds tied to members’ primary employer.

Board vote

- The motion to adopt Resolution 2025‑04 passed on a roll call vote. Tally: Yes — Director Ensuza, Alternate Director LaCava, Director San Antonio, Director Suzuki, Director Yamani, Chair Paloma Aguirre; Abstain — Vice Chair Laszlo Reimer. The motion carried.

Follow up

- Staff will publish the amended policy text and an easy opt‑out process for members who decline per‑diem payments. The board asked staff to consider additional clarifications about differing local just‑cause or relocation ordinances when programs create potential tenant impacts (a related program topic discussed elsewhere on the agenda).