Annual meeting held between San Diego and Tijuana mayors

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — Friday was Bi-National day in the San Diego region, and Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum got together for their annual meeting.

The mega-region that is San Diego-Tijuana was never more evident than at the Downtown Central Library Friday, where a meeting of two cities with many mutual interests has been an annual event since 2015.

The mantra is a cooperation and more cooperation on issues of economic development, border infrastructure, public safety, tourism, even arts, and culture.

“I can’t stress enough importance of face-to-face. You can see Tijuana from here. Let’s not let border separate us, we need to meet face-to-face,” Mayor Faulconer said.

“While annual event mayors together frequently recently and next month they’re in Washington,”

The visit will include more than President Donald Trump’s decision to reopen negotiations on NAFTA.

If the sewage woes plaguing Tijuana — and thus significantly impacting this side of the border, the river estuary, the cities, and beaches of Imperial Beach and Coronado — Washington and Mexico City have got to be involved.

“They have to hear us, they have to provide the resources, Washington and Sacramento, Mexican federal government and state government,” Mayor Faulconer said.

Mayor Gastelum likens the issue to being at the bottom of a triangle where the bottom needs to push to the top.

“We have to tell em, ‘If we don’t, who is?’ We need the federal governments, we have solutions, but we’re not going to get them. We’re doing it with Kevin.” Mayor Gasetlum said.