Carlsbad Street Faire -It was great to see so many people at the Carlsbad Street Faire. COVID-19 has crushed the events industry and many small businesses that rely on these types of events. It was wonderful to see things getting back to normal!
A big shoutout to the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce for putting on the event and thanks to everyone that stopped by.

The County of San Diego is reminding San Diegans that Cool Zones are available throughout the region to help them beat the heat this summer. The County operates 16 Cool Zones at various locations, including libraries, recreation centers and senior centers across the region.

Cool Zones are free, air-conditioned locations where people can go to cool down. Some of the locations are operating with extended or weekend hours.

Hot temperatures can be particularly dangerous for seniors and children, and they are advised to seek shelter in cool locations when temperatures rise. Working or exercising outside on a hot day, or staying too long in an overheated place can cause heat-related illnesses, including cramps, exhaustion and heatstroke.

To help these community members beat the heat, the County of San Diego, in partnership with SDG&E, provides free electric fans to those who are living on limited incomes.

To be eligible for the fan program, a County resident must not have access to an air-conditioned space at their home or apartment building. To learn more about the Cool Zones Fan Program or to request a fan, call Aging & Independence Services at 800-339-4661. 

Help for Wildfire Victims

As the temperature continues to rise across San Diego County, there is more help for victims of wildfires. Senate Bill 872 will do the following for victims of wildfires:

• Insurance companies can no longer deduct the land value when paying an insurance claim if a wildfire survivor chooses to relocate rather than rebuild their home at the same location — which will lead to higher payouts for consumers. After recent major wildfires, some insurance companies refused to include the value of land lost as a result of wildfires when paying a total loss claim, reducing the total payout by tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. This change gives homeowners more choices in whether to rebuild or relocate their new home.

• Residents under mandatory evacuation for wildfire, even if they suffer no damage to their home, will receive additional living expenses for at least two weeks, with extensions for good cause.

• Insurance companies cannot restrict additional living expenses if a home is rendered uninhabitable due to a wildfire or other covered peril, even if the damage is not to the property itself. This addresses the problems after recent major fires when insurance companies denied benefits even though damaged power and water lines made homes uninhabitable. An insurance company may provide a reasonable alternative remedy that addresses the property condition, such as a portable generator in the case of downed power lines or a portable water source. 

• In cases of a total loss related to a state of emergency, insurance companies must provide an advance payment of no less than four months of additional living expenses if the consumer requests it, with additional benefits due after the advance period upon proper documentation.

• Wildfire survivors do not have to use a company-specific inventory form for lost contents and can include groupings of categories such as clothing, shoes, books, food items, and DVDs rather than having to list individual items.

• Insurance companies must offer a 60-day grace period on payment of policy premiums for properties located within the affected area defined in the declared state of emergency.

Supervisor Jim Desmond | 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101