San Diego

The City Council voted Monday to form a new department to address issues shared by Tijuana and San Diego and to establish better day-to-day communication with Tijuana officials.

The 7-1 vote approved creation of a Department of Binational Affairs to act as a liaison between municipal officials on both sides of the border.

Councilman Ed Struiksma, who proposed the department, said it would help establish permanent relations between the two cities on issues of mutual concern, something “we do not currently have.”

Councilman Uvaldo Martinez, the lone opponent of the council’s action, said formation of the department should be delayed until an advisory board is established, something the council is scheduled to vote on next week.