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Not valid with any other offers or specials. Expires 2/9/17
ANY SERVICE $150 OR MORE
1727 Garnet Avenue - P.B. Across from Vons in Plaza Center
Maximum discount is $40
BIG JOSH BENEFIT Miller's Field in Pacific Beach is hosting the second major fundraiser to benefit employee, Big Josh Gehlbach, from 5 p.m. to midnight Monday, Jan. 30 at 4465 Mission Blvd.
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SEE PAGE 4
SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER GROUP
THURSDAY · JANUARY 26, 2017
BEACHANDBAYPRESS.COM
Restaurant surcharges could violate state law City attorney investigating claims By DAVE SCHWAB
PUDDLE PEDALING A series of storms roared through San Diego from Thursday, Jan. 19 to Tuesday, Jan. 24 depositing about 2.4 inches of rain and causing some flooding, downed trees, and power outages. (Above) After a morning rain storm on Friday, Jan. 20, the sun finally made an appearance in Pacific Beach and people took advantage by walking and riding on Ocean Front Walk near Hornblend Street. PHOTO BY THOMAS MELVILLE
New City Attorney Mara Elliott is alleging that several San Diego restaurants, including some along the beachfront, are adding questionably legal, 3 percent surcharges to customers' bills without proper notice to compensate for a minimumwage pay increase that took effect Jan. 1. At a Jan. 5 press conference, Elliot said her office's Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit has received information that “some San Diego restaurants are adding what they describe as a 'mandated' minimum-wage surcharge to customers’ bills, as much as 3.5 percent above and beyond what the prices on the menu indicate. “Many of these diners did not learn of this so-called surcharge – which is not mandated by any governmental entity – until they
City Attorney Mara Elliott
received their check,” Elliott said at the conference. “This practice may violate California law, and specifically, its provisions against false advertising. “Citizens are entitled to know upfront the cost of their meals and the basis for each charge included in their bill. Those restaurants who do not adequately inform their customers may be receiving letters from our office indicating that we are investigating them for potential violations of the law.” SEE SURCHARGE, Page 10
Local leaders discuss what’s next for Pacific and Mission beaches By DAVE SCHWAB
‘Revitalize the business district and connect it with the community by expanding the Tuesday Farmers Market and moving it to Garnet Avenue.’
Now that we've turned the corner on a new year, community leaders in CHRIS OLSON, A LONG-TIME PACIFIC BEACH COMMUNITY PLANNER Mission and Pacific beaches are weighing in on what they expect lies ahead in 2017. other public services, said he has “a nent solution for the annual sum- of another looming budget deficit,” tremendous amount of anxiety mer fly infestation, as well as how Vallas said. MAD regarding the future of Mission the community will be able to take “If the community doesn't come Mission Beach entrepreneur John Beach” this year. care of its unique needs as the City together and work to provide soluVallas, who's been lobbying for a pro“There is a lot of misinformation continues to look for ways to cull the tions instead of attacking each other posed maintenance assessment dis- floating around about how Mission special services it provides to small – I'm anxious that no solution to the trict to pay for more trash pickup and Beach is going to create a perma- pockets of communities, in the midst summer flies, overwhelming trash,
broken sidewalks and dirty alleys will be created in 2017.”
Homeless Henish Pulickal, a Pacific Beach Planning Group member speaking on his own behalf, cited one particularly vexing issue. “The homeless are a huge problem,” Pulickal said. “This issue is past it's boiling point, and we need to SEE LEADERS, Page 14