Board adopts wide-ranging ordinances, approves large property sale after rescission and revote

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on July 28 passed a package of budget, code and planning measures, including the annual budget and salary ordinances and a contested authorization to sell city property at 30 Van Ness Avenue. Supervisors also approved amendments to the building code fee schedule, changes to business and tax rules, and a series of airport and public-works contracts and leases.

The board adopted the city's annual budget and appropriation ordinance (items 6 and 7) for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2017 and related fee and rate matters, voting unanimously. The board also approved multiple airport leases and amendments, emergency public works contracts for the Telegraph Hill rock-slope project, and appropriations to cover projected overtime in departments including police and sheriff (item 29).

One high-profile action involved city-owned property at 30 Van Ness Avenue. The ordinance authorizes the sale by public competitive bid for not less than $87,000,000 and permits the use of a portion of proceeds to defease certain outstanding certificates of participation (transcript figures cited: up to approximately $25,870,000 and up to approximately $5,900,000 in principal). During the meeting a roll-call vote on the ordinance was rescinded at the request of Supervisor Campos and then retaken; the final vote passed on the second roll call (8 ayes, 3 noes). The clerk recorded the second roll call as: Christensen, Cohen, Farrell, Kim, Tang, Weiner, Yi, and Breed voting aye; Campos, Mar, and Avalos voting no.

Other enacted measures included updates to the business and tax regulations code (for example, a refund provision conforming city real property transfer tax refunds to state law), amendments to the planning code related to inclusionary affordable housing and group housing projects, and an ordinance revising construction emissions minimization and monitoring requirements for certain public works projects (item 26). The board also approved an urgency ordinance temporarily prohibiting commercial storefront mergers above a threshold within a proposed special use district in the Mission (item 42) and other neighborhood-specific planning actions.

Several items were continued or held for later action: the board continued multiple public hearings tied to planning or public-works decisions (for example items related to Peralta Avenue and Terra/industrial landfill contract hearings), and the clerk indicated that tabulation of ballots for several proposed property- and business-improvement districts (Yerba Buena, Greater Rincon Hill, and Dogpatch/Northwest Potrero Hill green benefit district) would occur after the hearings; results were to be reported by the Department of Elections.

Votes at a glance

- Item 6 & 7 (Annual budget and salary ordinances): passed unanimously (roll call). Adopted appropriation and salary enumeration for FYs ending 06/30/2016 and 06/30/2017.

- Item 8 (Amend building code fee schedules; affirm Planning Department CEQA determination): amended on the floor to correct math/rounding errors in permit tiers; passed first reading as amended unanimously.

- Item 23 (Authorize public sale and appropriation of city-owned property at 30 Van Ness Avenue): initial roll call was rescinded by motion of Supervisor Campos; on a second roll call the ordinance passed (8 ayes, 3 noes). Sale price floor not less than $87,000,000; allows use of some proceeds to defease outstanding certificates of participation (transcript figures cited).

- Item 24 (Conform business and real property transfer tax refund rules to state law): passed by roll call; unanimous.

- Item 25 (Amend Planning Code: inclusionary affordable housing and group housing project clarifications): passed unanimously after roll call.

- Item 26 (Amend Ordinance 28-15: construction emissions minimization and monitoring): passed unanimously.

- Item 29 (Retroactive appropriation to overtime for Sheriff, Police, Public Utilities Commission ~ $5,000,000): passed first reading unanimously.

- Dozens of airport lease amendments, emergency public-works contracts, and property acquisitions/agreements (items 30'' 41, 43, 44, 55, etc.): adopted by unanimous votes where recorded.

What happened procedurally

Supervisor Campos moved to rescind an earlier recorded vote on the 30 Van Ness sale; the motion to rescind passed, the clerk retook the roll call, and the ordinance passed on the second vote. Several items that required further outreach or review were continued to future meetings; several public hearings were left open pending Department of Elections ballot tabulations.

Why it matters

The budget and salary ordinances set the city's spending plan and staffing for the next two fiscal years. The Van Ness sale will shift a major public property to private ownership and uses some proceeds to defease city debt instruments; the sale drew both support and no votes and required a procedural rescission and re-vote. The planning and business-code changes will affect fees, affordable-housing rules and permitting, and construction emissions controls across the city.

Looking ahead

The board left open multiple public hearings and directed staff to report back; Department of Elections tabulations for at least three assessment-district ballots were pending at the close of the meeting. Several ongoing planning and land disposition matters will return to the board for final action.