Budget & Finance Committee forwards 11 items, including tax rate and multiple contracts, to full Board

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Committee on Sept. 21, 2022 voted to forward a slate of resolutions to the full Board, including the annual property tax‑rate resolution and a set of contract and lease amendments.

The committee unanimously moved the annual tax‑rate resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation. Controller’s office presenter Jamie Whitaker said the composite tax rate for fiscal year 2022–23 is 1.1793782 per $100 of assessed value and that Prop. 13 accounts for the first 1%. He said assessed values rose roughly 5.3 percent, which increases a median assessed‑value single‑family homeowner’s tax bill by about $135.66 compared with the prior year. “The legislation before you is the annual tax rate resolution,” Whitaker said during his presentation.

The committee also endorsed by unanimous votes a housing item supporting three SuperNOFA infill infrastructure grant applications (730 Stanyan, 2530 Eighteenth and 2550 Irving), multiple Department of Public Health contracts (including a proposed Toyon Associates five‑year amendment that was continued to Sept. 28 for procedural reasons), and several Office of Contract Administration amendments. The committee accepted a clerical correction to the Stanyan/Eighteenth address (correcting 2350 Eighteenth to 2530 Eighteenth) before forwarding that application support resolution.

Notable contract actions included: • A retroactive emergency staffing contract with Trifacta Inc. presented by DPH for temporary staff; BLA recommended reducing the not‑to‑exceed amount and removing a provision that would allow the department to amend the contract up to $10 million without further board review; the department agreed and the committee forwarded the amended resolution. • A retroactive amendment to a Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG) agreement, presented as part of COVID‑era recertification work at Laguna Honda; DPH said HSAG responded to an emergency solicitation and had prior experience with CMS recertification work. • A modification to PUC hauling contracts with Denali Water Solutions increasing Aggregate 1 by $10.2 million to a new total not‑to‑exceed $18.8 million and extending the contract through Sept. 30, 2026; BLA supported the amendment.

The committee spent substantial time on item 10 — a request by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to increase a Brown & Caldwell professional‑services agreement by $55 million, to a not‑to‑exceed $208.5 million, to support construction‑phase engineering for the Southeast Plant biosolids digester project. SFPUC project manager Carolyn Chu described the digesters as more than 70 years old and said the new facilities are designed to use 100 percent of treated biosolids and generated biogas and to limit odors and noise to within the fence line. The project is budgeted at $2.4 billion with $1.9 billion in construction. Committee members requested annual performance reports for the contractor; SFPUC agreed and the committee amended the resolution to memorialize that reporting before forwarding it.

Several items generated public comment, including praise from local LBE partners and criticism from residents about contract costs. Where speakers raised procedural or fiscal concerns, analysts’ reports and presentations were used to clarify funding sources, contract terms, and next steps. Most forwarded items were unanimous; items needing further review were continued (for example, the Toyon Associates contract amendment was continued to Sept. 28). The committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendation): • Item 1 (annual property tax rate): forwarded to full Board with positive recommendation (3 ayes). • Item 2 (support SuperNOFA infill infrastructure grant applications): forwarded as amended (clerical address correction) (3 ayes). • Item 3 (Toyon Associates contract — five‑year funding correction): continued to Sept. 28 (unanimous to continue). • Item 4 (retroactive emergency Trifacta staffing contract): amended per BLA and forwarded (3 ayes). • Item 5 (HSAG retroactive amendment for Laguna Honda recertification work): amended per BLA and forwarded (3 ayes). • Item 6 (Denali biosolids hauling contract modification): forwarded (3 ayes). • Item 7 (Barnum auction services contract amendment): forwarded (3 ayes). • Item 8 (SFO Terminal 2 World Duty Free lease amendment): forwarded (3 ayes). • Item 9 (Port lease with Aardvark/American Storage): forwarded (3 ayes). • Item 10 (Brown & Caldwell contract amendment for Southeast Plant): forwarded as amended to include annual performance reporting (3 ayes). • Item 11 (HUD Continuum of Care grant application, ~ $54.6M): forwarded (3 ayes). • Item 12 (City Attorney Fox Plaza lease amendment): continued to the call of the chair after extended debate about term length (unanimous to continue).

What’s next: most items will appear on the full Board agenda on Sept. 27, 2022; Toyon Associates (item 3) will return to committee Sept. 28, 2022; the City Attorney lease (item 12) was continued for further negotiation and possible re‑presentation.