Board approves several routine grants and contract amendments; $1 million placed for small-business revolving loan fund

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on March 2012 approved multiple consent resolutions authorizing city departments to accept federal and state grants, approved a contract amendment for emergency-management technology and accepted an urban greening grant, and passed an ordinance in its first reading to appropriate $1,000,000 from prior-year general fund balance for the city's small-business revolving loan fund.

The board passed, without separate debate, resolutions authorizing the Department of Public Health to accept a federal pass-through grant of approximately $650,000 for the Nurse Family Partnership program and a state vocational rehabilitation grant of approximately $136,000; authorizing the Department of Emergency Management to enter the Ninth Amendment with Stratus Technologies to increase the contract to about $3.4 million and extend the term to June 30, 2014; authorizing the Recreation and Parks Department to accept a roughly $711,000 urban greening grant for Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse; and granting revocable permission to the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District to work in the public right-of-way to replace and maintain bus-stop signs. These items were adopted on the consent calendar with the clerk announcing "same house, same call." The board also approved two additional adoption-calendar items (items 16 and 17) by roll call.

Separately, the board considered an ordinance to appropriate $1,000,000 of general fund prior-year fund balance for the small-business revolving loan fund for fiscal year 2011-12 and to place $500,000 on the Budget and Finance Committee reserve pending an update on the program. The ordinance passed its first reading after a roll-call vote, which the clerk recorded as eight ayes; the clerk announced "The ordinance is passed in the first reading." No additional amendments or conditions were recorded on the floor.

An ordinance amending the Administrative Code to establish city policy regarding participation in federal counterterrorism activities was continued to a future meeting at the request of Supervisor Kim to allow more time for discussions with the San Francisco Police Department and the Mayor's Office. Supervisor Kim made the motion to continue, seconded by Supervisor Olague; the board agreed without objection and the item was continued to the March 27 meeting.

Also on the docket, Supervisor Avalos offered and the board adopted an imperative resolution declaring March 2012 as Professional Social Work Month; Supervisor Avalos moved adoption and the motion was seconded and approved without objection.

The board recessed to reconvene later for special orders. Several items scheduled for the 4:00 p.m. special order (items 12'15) were continued to the following week after a motion to continue, made due to absent members.

Why this matters: The consent calendar moves recurring program funding and contract authority without extended debate; the small-business loan appropriation places $1 million into a local lending program and reserves $500,000 pending a program update, which the Budget and Finance Committee will need to address. The continuance of the counterterrorism participation ordinance signals additional departmental consultation is expected before any policy change is voted on.

Votes at a glance - Item 5 (ordinance: city policy on participation in federal counterterrorism activities): Continued to March 27. Motion to continue: Supervisor Kim; second: Supervisor Olague. Outcome: continued. - Item 6 (ordinance appropriating $1,000,000 for the Small Business Revolving Loan Fund): Passed first reading. Vote recorded by roll call (clerk announced 8 ayes). Outcome: ordinance passed first reading. - Item 7 (DPH: accept/expend federal pass-through grant, ~ $650,000, Nurse Family Partnership, Feb 1'Jun 30, 2012): Adopted (consent). Vote/tally: not specified on floor. - Item 8 (DPH: accept/expend state vocational rehabilitation grant, ~ $136,000, Jul 1, 2010'Jun 30, 2013): Adopted (consent). Vote/tally: not specified on floor. - Item 9 (DEM: Ninth Amendment with Stratus Technologies, contract increased to ~ $3,400,000, term extended to 06/30/2014): Adopted (consent). Vote/tally: not specified on floor. - Item 10 (Rec & Park: accept/expend urban greening grant, ~ $711,000, Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse): Adopted (consent). Vote/tally: not specified on floor. - Item 11 (revocable permission for Golden Gate Bridge Hwy & Transportation District to occupy ROW for bus stop signage): Adopted (consent). Vote/tally: not specified on floor. - Items 16 & 17: Adopted by roll call; clerk announced 8 ayes. - Imperative resolution declaring March 2012 Professional Social Work Month (Avalos): Adopted. Motion to adopt: Supervisor Avalos; second: Supervisor Farrell. Outcome: adopted.

Sources: Board roll calls and on-the-record motions and clerk announcements at the March meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Items continued or adopted were recorded on the consent calendar and in the clerk's roll-call announcements.