The county is warning residents living in areas charred by the October wildfires to be on the lookout for flooding and floating debris as rainstorms hit this weekend.
Much of the county is expected to receive several inches of rain today and tomorrow.
The county yesterday used its Alert San Diego notification system – which sends recorded messages to home and cell phones – to inform residents to protect their homes. Experts advised that if damaging conditions develop, people should seek shelter outside of burn areas until the storm passes.
Authorities have more than 100 stream and rain gauges located throughout the county and plan to issue additional phone advisories if they indicate dangerous conditions. –C.G.
Financial fixes continue
at San Diego City Hall
SAN DIEGO: The city government continues its attempts to strengthen its internal financial controls, a main flaw that contributed to years of fiscal frailty, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said yesterday.
The city's new auditor, Eduardo Luna, found four concerns among 54 items he examined. His recommendations include establishing policies to reduce errors in the city's annual financial report and clarifying the role of an internal group that reviews City Hall financial disclosures.
Luna downplayed the four areas as “really minor points.” Jay Goldstone, the city's chief operating officer, said they will have little effect on San Diego's attempt to improve its credit ratings, which suffered as news of financial mismanagement at City Hall spread four years ago.
Numerous inquiries have cited auditing weaknesses to explain how the city ended up with a $1 billion pension deficit and major errors in documents offered to investors in the municipal bond market.
Sanders said the city has solved 91 of 149 issues raised by the auditors, attorneys and investigators who have picked apart San Diego's financial records. Luna's Jan. 1 report, he said, “documents our success, but also calls out areas that still need attention.” –J.V.
Forum for wildfire victims is Thursday in La Mesa
LA MESA: A forum for people who lost their homes in the October wildfires is scheduled for Thursday in La Mesa.
California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, representatives from government agencies and other disaster relief experts will answer questions about insurance, rebuilding and resources available to fire victims.
The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive. For more information, call (213) 346-6870 or go to insurance.ca.gov. –L.N.
More buses, trolleys set
for Chargers-Titans game
Extra buses and trolley service will be available for fans going to the Chargers-Tennessee Titans playoff game tomorrow.
The San Diego Trolley will begin running more frequent and longer trains on the Green Line to Qualcomm Stadium at 10 a.m. and continue service as needed until after the game, a Metropolitan Transit System news release said.
Green Line service is available at park-and-ride lots in Old Town, Morena Boulevard, lower level of Hazard Center, Grantville, Grossmont Center, Amaya Drive in La Mesa, El Cajon Transit Center, Gillespie Field and Santee Town Center.
Chargers Express Bus service will provide nonstop buses to Qualcomm from the Spring Street trolley station in La Mesa; the Governor Drive/Interstate 805 park-and-ride lot; Kearny Mesa traffic court at Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Complex Street; Mira Mesa park-and-ride at Interstate 15 and Mira Mesa Boulevard and Chula Vista High School parking lot at Fourth Avenue and K Street.
Express buses will begin leaving about two hours before game time, with the last bus departing from each location 45 minutes before kick-off.
Tokens, day passes, the regional transit pass and other prepaid fares will not be accepted for the Chargers Express bus. For further information, call county information at 511 or go to www.sdmts. com. –P.R.
Boil-water order lifted
for area north of Lakeside
EAST COUNTY: The county Department of Environmental Health lifted a boil-water order Thursday for Featherstone Canyon Christian Camp north of Lakeside.
Samples showed the water is free of total coliform bacteria, nearly a month after testing positive for the same substance. Total coliform bacteria is not necessarily harmful but can indicate contamination.
Water at the camp can now be consumed without boiling.
The camp is on Featherstone Canyon Road near Wright Canyon Road. No campers were at the facility during the boil-water order, officials said. –M.C.
Staff writers Craig Gustafson, Jennifer Vigil, Liz Neely, Pauline Repard and Michele Clock contributed to this report.
