San Francisco budget committee hears wide-ranging department requests; key fee proposals, homelessness reallocations and street response plans debated

The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met June 20 to continue second-round hearings on departmental responses to proposed reductions and trailing legislation in the mayor’s budget. Chair Supervisor Connie Chan convened the session and members present included Vice Chair Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Supervisor Joan Gallardo (Guardio), President Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Jackie Fielder (substituting for Supervisor Walton) and Supervisor Danny Sauter. The committee heard return presentations and public comment on items ranging from fee changes at Recreation and Parks to a revised Our City Our Home spending plan and the Department of Emergency Management’s new neighborhood street teams.

The committee’s work is part of a multi-day budget review: departments that accept recommended reductions generally did not return; those that dispute recommendations or propose trailing legislation did. Departments with substantive appearances June 20 included the San Francisco Police Department (trailing legislation on vehicle-registration fees), the Asian Art Museum (director’s introduction and a manager vacancy dispute), San Francisco Public Library (dispute over two management positions), Department of Early Childhood (positions and grant-making capacity), Department of Building Inspection (fee adjustments), Department of Emergency Management (neighborhood street teams and ambassadors), Office of Economic and Workforce Development (CityBuild and legacy business programs), Human Services Agency (multiple management vacancies and transfers), Recreation and Parks (four-item fee package), and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (revised Our City Our Home reallocations). Public comment was heavily attended for the Recreation and Parks item.

Recreation and Park fees: proposals and public concern The committee heard the department present four related actions to raise revenue: (1) authorize paid parking in Golden Gate Park, (2) allow the department to charge for tennis and pickleball court reservations at many locations, (3) adopt a utility-cost recovery surcharge on golf, athletic fields, picnic areas and outdoor event venues, and (4) update the department’s recreation program fee model and codify an expanded scholarship policy. General Manager Phil Ginsberg told the committee that rapidly rising utility costs (water, power and stormwater fees) and a structural gap in the department’s budget required new revenue to avoid layoffs and cuts to pools, rec-center hours and programs. Ginsberg said the package as presented would generate revenue in the first and second years of the two-year budget cycle and that updated golf fees plus a utility surcharge would replace an earlier plan to seek private maintenance contracts for municipal golf.

Public comment numbered more than one hundred speakers. Labor leaders, Rec and Park staff and dozens of local nonprofits urged the…