The agenda for this week’s meeting of the Coronado City Council includes determining off-street parking requirements for Nicky Rottens and gratitude for federal leaders who have spurred change in cross-border sewage issues.
The meeting is at 4 p.m. on March 17 in the City Council Chamber at 1825 Strand Way, and will be broadcast here. The full agenda is here. A recording of the meeting will be posted here.
Continuing two, 0.5 percent tourism assessments for next year
The City Council will decide whether to continue two longstanding, 0.5 percent assessments on local hotels for the coming year.
If approved, the assessments are projected to generated $2.3 million in 2027, and their proceeds support tourism marketing and promotion, overseen by the nonprofit Discover Coronado. The idea behind the assessment is that tourism businesses — like hotels — benefit from this marketing, so they help to pay for it.
Only four hotels pay this assessment: the Hotel del Coronado, the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, the Coronado Island Marriott Resort, and the Glorietta Bay Inn. Hotels must have 90 or more rooms to be included.
Coronado has two tourism improvement districts, which follow slightly different laws. Coronado Tourism Improvement District I (CTID I) was created in 2010 during the economic downturn of the 2008 recession. It allows broader tourism promotion activities. CTID II was created in 2015 and operates under a slightly different state law, which requires spending to directly benefit the assessed hotels.
All four hotels are included in both CTIDs; the difference is in how revenue from the assessment is allowed to be spent. Each hotel pays its 0.5 percent assessment to both districts, creating a 1 percent total assessment.
An annual report from Discover Coronado outlines ongoing tourism marketing priorities. For CTID I, the goals are: to improve AI tools used for marketing analytics, to update marketing materials aimed at group travel, to expand partnerships with Visit California and the San Diego Tourism Authority, and to increase awareness of the Discover Coronado Brand.
Goals for CTID II are to develop a mobile site for city tourism, to work on partnerships related to NASCAR events, to expand social media marketing reach, and to advocate for long-term water quality solutions that affect tourism.
If the council moves forward with this item, it will not be a final decision. Rather, the council’s approval would adopt a resolution of intent for the assessment and schedule a public hearing on the matter for April 21.
Considering updated sewer rates for Coronado customers
The council will receive a sewage rate study, which outlines a five-year rate schedule that would increase rates for all Coronado customers starting in July. For single-family homes, the proposed rate would increase from its current $48.75 per month to $55.48 starting in July, eventually reaching to $76.89 in 2030.
The council will not approve rate changes at this meeting. Rather, it will review the study and decide whether to schedule a public hearing on the matter for May 5. The full list of proposed rates is here.
Placing synthetic kratom and 7-OH regulation on a future agenda
Mayor John Duncan submitted a Policy No. 2 request to consider establishing a city ordinance on an herbal supplement that has been banned in other cities in California.
Kratom, which is derived from a tree native to Southeast Asia, is marketed as a cure for chronic pain, anxiety, or as an aid in quitting opioids. It is often sold in gas stations and liquor stores. An alkaloid called 7-OH is found natively in the plant, but a report from the Food and Drug Administration says many of these products have enhanced amounts of the chemical. The FDA on its website calls 7-OH products the “next wave of the opioid crisis.”
In high doses, the substances can have opioid-like effects, critics say, and Duncan said in his request that it is highly addictive. He noted that both the cities of Oceanside and San Diego have banned the sale of them.
Sixteen states regulate the sale of kratom in some manner.
The council will not deliberate or make a decision at Tuesday’s meeting. Instead, it will decide whether to place the matter on a future agenda.
Considering a reclassification of some historic homes
The City Council will consider reclassifying eight properties within Coronado’s Historic Resources Inventory from Tier 3 to Tier 2, a change that reflects the buildings’ architectural character but does not designate them as historic landmarks.
The city last year moved to expedite its historic home review process in an effort to preserve Coronado’s charm without creating an unsustainable, costly system. To this end, the council in October 2025 adopted a Historic Context Statement, which used a survey to evaluate properties built in the Village areas through 1970 and categorize them based on whether they might qualify for historic designation under Criterion C, which relates to distinctive architectural style.
Under the city’s classification system, Tier 1 properties retain strong architectural integrity and may be eligible for historic designation. Tier 2 properties are still recognizable examples of an architectural style but have been altered enough that they are not considered eligible for designation under Criterion C. Tier 3 properties have been substantially altered and no longer clearly reflect a particular architectural style.
The item before the council would move eight addresses from Tier 3 to Tier 2. City staff say the properties still display identifiable architectural characteristics that warrant recognition in the inventory, even though they do not appear eligible for formal historic designation.
The properties that would be reclassified are 408 and 620 Fifth St.; 544 A Ave.; 560, 827, and 941 B Ave.; 900 D Ave.; and 966 F Ave.
If approved, the change would update the properties’ classification, but would not place the properties on a historic register or impose new historic designations.
Reauthorizing a border water quality subcommittee
In effort to address the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis, the City Council since 2023 has maintained an border water quality advocacy subcommittee. Its current members are Mayor John Duncan and Councilmember Mark Fleming. To continue this work, the council must authorize the subcommittee and choose two council members to serve on it once the current term ends on April 1.
In addition, the council will consider extending its local declaration of emergency related to cross-border sewage.
Considering an encroachment permit at a private address
A property owner built raised planters on the public parkway area space between the sidewalk and the street, and now is requesting an encroachment permit to allow the landscaping improvements. City staff is recommending denying the permit.
Consent calendar at a glance
At every meeting, the council votes on matters that are continued routine without deliberation, unless an item is removed for discussion. This week’s consent items include:
- A resolution extending the local emergency declaration over the invasive algae Caulerpa prolifera discovered in the Coronado Cays in September 2023.
- Approving the 2025 Housing Element progress report, which says that 37 new units were built last year, though none were affordable. (Our full coverage on this report is here.)
- Accepting the Coronado Fire Department’s 2025 state-mandated inspection compliance report.
- Awarding a contract for the Coronado Cays dog park fence project for $142,999.
