Tourism and City Hall officials are busy this month putting the final touches on a law creating a $25 million tourism promotion program, funded by a new 2 percent fee on hotel guests. The City Council will consider the Tourism Improvement District enabling ordinance in late February. The city is anticipating it will take effect in the fall, freeing up $6.5 million it otherwise would spend on visitor efforts, a savings that increases to $13 million the following year. Funding for organizations like ConVis and the Holiday Bowl now would come from the TID. Hoteliers worry the city may try to push onto the TID nontraditional expenses, such as maintaining buildings in Balboa Park. The industry also soon must publicly present a plan on how it will spend/manage the money. Hoteliers are jockeying for the nine likely seats on the powerful TID, which will dole out the cash.

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While some fret creative accounting will allow the city’s pension board to look richer than it is, the opposite seems likely. New actuarial rules approved by San Diego City Employees Retirement System’s board will instead count only 25 percent of portfolio gains greater than 8 percent for the fiscal year. This “smoothing” is a process designed to deal with the market’s ebbs and flows. Investment returns so far this year are soundly beating 8 percent, and would come in at 10 percent if the market went flat today.

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San Diego’s SBA office is collaborating with the Mexican International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MexChamber) to improve business access to technological information through educational opportunities and SBA resources. Ruben Garcia, district director of the SBA office, signed a pact with Roberto Garces, MexChamber board chair for the alliance. “Having the SBA of San Diego as a partner only enhances an already strong foundation of services this chamber provides to its members and future entrepreneurs, especially those working binationally,” says Garces. “Our chamber is geared primarily to provide hard-to-find information, the know-how and guidance to small business owners interested in penetrating highly profitable markets with the least amount of effort and expense.”

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With a deep and folksy sound - singer and songwriter Nate Donnis sounds a little like Bruce Springsteen - The Donnis Trio will host a CD release party at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach at 2 p.m. on Feb. 11. Rooted in folk, acoustic rock and reggae, the CD, ‘All Directions,’ contains 14 original songs. You can hear a bit of it at donnistrio.com.

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The Goo Goo Dolls top a special benefit concert for Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego’s asthma and immunology department March 30 in Carlsbad at McClellan-Palomar Airport’s Schubach Aviation. The event from 6 to 11 p.m. includes concert, dancing, dinner, cocktails and auction, presented by the hospital auxiliary’s Carmel Valley unit. Tickets are $300 by invitation. For information, call (858) 792-5868.

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Ted Dennis has joined Jimsair Charter as manager of charter operations. A 16-year veteran of the charter and business aviation industry, Dennis most recently was with Guardian Jet Center at Ontario International Airport. Manager Dick Cloward moves over to head up Jimsair’s new shared ownership program. The hiring of Dennis and renewed emphasis on the shared ownership of jet aircraft are the first steps in Jimsair’s move to significantly expand its Lindbergh Field charter operations.

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A world-class scrum breaks out Downtown just before Valentine’s Day when national teams from 16 countries and regions come to Petco Park for the World Sevens Series International Rugby Tournament Feb. 10 and 11. Sevens rugby uses the same size field as 15-man rugby but with only seven ruggers, running and tackling nonstop in 14-minute matches. The event includes 44 matches, rugby clinics and live music. General admission is $35 per day.

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A timely ounce of fire prevention in March could help local housing and real estate professionals avoid a pounding on fire insurance premiums, or worse, later on. The San Diego Natural History Museum will present a one-day, five-hour wildfire education workshop for businesses on five dates: March 3, 9 and 23 in Balboa Park, March 15 in Spring Valley and March 31 in Rancho Santa Fe. Times vary. The fee is $25. For more or to register, call (619) 255-0289 or visit sdnhm.org.

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Northern California developer Jay Paul Co. has purchased for $105 million The Summit at Rancho Bernardo. Combined with its recent acquisition of the contiguous Sony manufacturing plant, this will be a 105-acre master-planned office and research complex that ultimately will offer 3 million square feet of office, lab and R&D space. The property was sold by NACAR of San Diego Inc.

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British Telecom will be in San Diego March 6-7 participating in MarketLink, the high-tech equivalent of speed dating. BT is actively looking to establish relationships with U.S. firms involved in broadband value-added applications, new generation VOIP applications, innovative mobile applications deployable on a wide variety of mobile devices, infrastructure provider services and technologies, social networking and communications-intensive Web 2.0 applications, mesh WiFi technologies and IT virtualization technologies that would be used in data centers. Information on how to get selected through the MarketLink application process is available at CommNexus.org.

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Home builder Lennar is preparing for a spring grand opening of models for The Lakes, a gated community that will include about 350 homes on 500 acres adjacent to Rancho Santa Fe. Priced from the mid-$1 millions, the homes will feature one- and two-story floor plans ranging from 3,516 to 5,296 square feet, some with lake and golf course views. Lots will range from 8,000 square feet to more than two acres.

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Responses are due Feb. 23 to the city’s call for qualifications from companies interested in developing at least 65 acres of Brown Field. Qualified developers will then get a chance in spring to submit a proposal for the property. The city is encouraging creative aviation uses and will entertain proposals to include more acreage. Christian Anderson in the real estate department - (858) 573-1433, canderson@sandiego.gov - has the details.

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AT&T has a new telephone service to help businesses multiply their communication with customers in languages other than English throughout Southern California. “Your World, Your Language” provides free on-phone interpretation for customers with participating businesses at (888) 855-0811. Language Line Services offers eight languages: Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mandarin. For more, visit worldpartnerprogram.com.

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Ocean anglers tired of catching a pair of yellow hips to go with their catch of yellowfins comprise the intended market for the “hip bumper,” invented by David Pittman of San Diego. The 15x7.5x 3.5-inch, leather-cased, polyurethane foam-padded device straps to the belt and ties around the leg to cushion the repeated rail rammings fishermen enjoy while reeling in the big one aboard ship. Pittman’s hip bumper is represented by Advent Product Development. For licensing or sales, visit adventproduct.net.

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Father Joe’s Village

Roel Construction Co. has been awarded the contract for the new construction of Father Joe’s Village, a $48 million, 217,115-square-foot apartment and retail complex being developed Downtown. S.V.D.P. Management Inc. is the owner. The project will consist of 136 apartments in a 12-story building with retail space on the first floor and two levels of underground parking. Construction at the site at 16th and Market streets is to begin this month with completion in September 2008. The project is an Affordable/Workforce Housing development in the Ballpark Redevelopment District.

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The Internet is bringing remote security surveillance within the reach of small businesses and homeowners, says Norman Fast, president of Industrial Video & Control Co. His manufacturing firm has just signed a licensing agreement allowing Remote Surveillance Solutions on Hancock Street to offer systems starting at $1,500. “Remote Surveillance Solutions was created specifically to address the video surveillance needs of homeowners and small businesses,” says Paul Woo, president of Remote Surveillance. “IVC camera systems provide users remote access to surveillance video at a reasonable cost. We believe there is a large market for this kind of product in the San Diego area.” A straightforward Web site — whytakeachance.com — has details.

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Cal State San Marcos and its athletic programs will benefit from an April 14 “Field of Dreams” fund-raiser chaired by Bob and Ruth Mangrum and Dick and Jan Hunter. A reception, dinner and dancing will be offered 6 to 11 p.m. at the M. Gordon Clarke Field House on campus. The university launched its first men’s and women’s golf teams in 1999, which were followed by men’s and women’s track and cross country. Last year, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and baseball were added. Guests at the event will learn about plans to build athletic fields on 25 acres on the “front yard” of the campus and additional sports to be added. Tickets are $275. Tables of 10 begin at $3,000. For reservations, call Arlene Ruiz at (760) 750-4400.

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Pinnacle Medical Plaza

Sharp Rees-Stealy will occupy the first floor of the new $35 million, 80,000-square-foot Pinnacle Medical Plaza to be built at Scripps Northridge Corporate Center in San Diego. Completion is expected in February 2008. Sharp HealthCare signed a 10-year lease for 41,811 square feet of medical office space at the new building. Pinnacle Medical Plaza is being developed by Lankford & Associates Inc. in conjunction with PRG Properties. The 125-acre Scripps Northridge Corporate also is home to the 325,000-square-foot Nokia Product Creation Center campus, the 151,000-square-foot Maintenance Warehouse/Home Depot regional headquarters and the 113,000-square-foot Plaza @ Scripps Northridge, a corporate office building.

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The sixth annual Black & White Ball is set for March 10 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. A premier social event for the San Diego legal profession, the ball will again support Kids Included Together, a nonprofit that organizes recreational, child development and youth development programs for children with and without disabilities. The ball, which drew 500 guests last year, is presented by the local chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. The association’s 435 members all practice law in-house in San Diego corporations.

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The Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce has moved its annual installation dinner and auction to Feb. 16 at the Holiday Inn on the Bay. Rosa Hernandez, assistant director of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, will receive the Spirit of the Border Award. Here's enough to make San Diego envious: Two round trips from Tijuana to Japan will be raffled off, courtesy of AeroMexico. Call Tatiana Suro for reservations at (619) 661-6111.

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Tickets for the Feb. 20 Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp can be ordered online and are $5 cheaper than the full price of $20 on the day of the event. To order, visit gaslamp.org. The celebration takes place at 7 p.m. on Fat Tuesday when the Gaslamp will be decorated in purple, green and gold. Three stages will have live performers. Tickets ordered online can be transferred by e-mail to friends. Misplaced or damaged tickets can be reprinted. For Downtown, this event has morphed into a replacement for Street Scene; affordable, with fun music for those over 35 and lots of places to dine and enjoy.