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City Attorney Memoranda of Law

What is a Memorandum of Law?

A City Attorney Memorandum of Law is a response to a request typically posed by the Mayor, City Council (jointly or separately), any full commission, board, committee, or agency (whether or not Charter based), through that entity's executive director or City liaison, or Department Director, which narrowly applies the interpretation of the current law to a particular problem or situation.

These documents do not contain any referenced attachments or enclosures. Printed copies of all City Attorney Memorandum of Law are available for viewing at the City Clerk's Office, 202 "C" Street, Second Floor, San Diego, CA. Questions about particular Legal Opinions should be directed to:

Law Librarian
Office of the City Attorney
1200 Third Avenue, Ste. 1100
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 533-5800

Memorandums from January 1986 through present are available.

Find a Memorandum of Law:


Memoranda of Law by Year

Official City Documents

Date Doc Num
04/04/2017 ML-2017-4 California Supreme Court Decision: City of San Jose v. Superior Court (Smith)
03/30/2017 MS-2017-9 Marijuana Billboard Restrictions
03/24/2017 ML-2017-3 Location of Public Art Paid for with Water Utility Funds
03/24/2017 ML-2017-2 Brown Act Rule Regarding Public Comment at City Council on Items Previously Considered at Council Committee
03/21/2017 MS-2017-6 Permissable Activities for City Officials and Employees in Relation to Voter Initiatives
03/15/2017 MS-2017-5 Short-Term Vacation Rentals
03/13/2017 MS-2017-4 Audit of City Boards: Charter Section 43(c) and Vacancies
03/13/2017 MS-2017-3 Response to Memo from Council District 1 regarding Enforcement of the City of San Diego Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance
03/08/2017 ML-2017-1 Proposed Amendments to the Burglary and Panic Alarm Systems Ordinance, San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 3, Article 3, Division 37
02/06/2017 MS-2017-2 Appointment of Members to Otay Mesa Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District Public Financing Authority
01/24/2017 MS-2017-1 Assignment of City Authority to Take California Sea Lions Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act
11/30/2016 ML-2016-18 Interpretation of San Diego Municipal Code Section 39.0105(g)
11/08/2016 MS-2016-31 Invocation Advisory for Outside Invocators
11/08/2016 MS-2016-30 The Plaza de Panama Committee Cooperation Agreement
11/07/2016 ML-2016-17 City of San Diego Safe Exchange Pilot Program
11/07/2016 MS-2016-32 Responses to Questions Raised at City Council regarding the Proposed Agreements with Civic San Diego
10/18/2016 ML-2016-16 Applicability of Earned Sick Leave andMinimum Wage Ordinance to Public AgencyEmployees; Private Businesses on Public Agency Land; Employees Traveling Through the City, and BusinessesLocated on Federal Enclaves
10/12/2016 ML-2016-15 Legal Interpretation of Charter Section 225
09/15/2016 MS-2016-28 Civic San Diego: Update and Issues Regarding Proposed Agreements
09/12/2016 MS-2016-27 Impact of Proposition H on Formation of Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts and Community Revitalization and Investment Authorities and Negotiation of Economic Development Incentive Agreements
09/07/2016 ML-2016-14 The Legality of the Proposed Model Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ordinance
08/08/2016 MS-2016-26 Response to San Diego County Grand Jury Report Entitled 'Citizen Oversight Boards of Police Behavior'
08/05/2016 MS-2016-25 Vote Requirements for Special Tax Initiatives
08/04/2016 MS-2016-24 Publication of the Full Text of a City Initiative
07/28/2016 ML-2016-13 Retiree Health Reimbursements for Health Eligible Retirees
07/27/2016 ML-2016-12 Potential Conflict of Interest in Hiring the Program Manager for the Plaza de Panama Project
07/22/2016 MS-2016-23 Local Authority Regarding Recreational Marijuana Land Use, Assuming Passage of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), Proposition 64; and Other Marijuana Regulation Issues
07/11/2016 MS-2016-21 Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Implementing Ordinance
07/08/2016 MS-2016-20 Proposed Amendments to San Diego Charter Section 40
07/01/2016 ML-2016-11 Local Regulation of Uber, Lyft, and other Transportation Network Companies
07/01/2016 MS-2016-19 Environmental Review for the Proposed Single-Use Carryout Bag Reduction Ordinance
06/24/2016 MS-2016-18 Docket Item Nos. 338 and 340 on June 28, 2016. Potential Challenges to the City's Existing Maintenance Assessment Districts
06/24/2016 ML-2016-10 Transmission of Electricity from Cogeneration Facility at Metro Biosolids Center to Advanced Water Treatment Facility at North City Water Reclamation Plant
06/16/2016 ML-2016-9 Council Policy 700-22 and Giftof Public Funds
06/03/2016 MS-2016-17 Second Weekly Refuse Collection in Mission Beach
05/19/2016 ML-2016-8 Firs Amendment Issues Related to the Regulation of Fitness and Yoga Classes in City Parks and Beaches
05/18/2016 MS-2016-16 Applicability of Charter Section 219 to Mission Bay Golf Course
05/17/2016 MS-2016-15 Climate Action Plan
05/16/2016 ML-2016-7 Preemption of Local Ordinance Prohibiting the Manufacturing, Sale, Distribution, and Possession of Unregulated Novel Drugs
05/13/2016 MS-2016-13 Proposition 47 – Misdemeanor Cite and Release vs. Misdemeanor Arrests
05/10/2016 MS-2016-12 DecoBike, LLC Bikesharing Stations on Boardwalk
05/02/2016 MS-2016-11 Recruitment Incentives
03/23/2016 MS-2016-10 City Council Authority to Adopt Ordinances Pertaining to the Citizens' Review Board on Police Practices
03/18/2016 ML-2016-6 Drafting of Ballot Measure and Fiscal Impact Analysis
03/10/2016 MS-2016-8 Salary Setting Commission Use of City Resources
03/10/2016 MS-2016-9 Authority to Sponsor H-1B Visa Applicant
02/29/2016 MS-2016-7 Local Police Regulation of Minisatellite Wagering Sites
02/22/2016 MS-2016-6 Rebuild San Diego Initiative
02/12/2016 MS-2016-5 Authority Over Public Disclosure of Body Camera Videos and Third-Party Videos Retained by the San Diego Police Department
02/11/2016 ML-2016-5 Constitutionality of San Diego Municipal Code section 26.16