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Supervisors press SFO on contracting out as committee advances multiple airport service contract changes
Summary
The committee advanced modifications for airport security, guest services and maintenance contracts but asked the airport to evaluate whether city civil-service staff could fill positions before renewing or expanding subcontracted services; staff said contracts are reimbursable and certified as lower-cost under existing provisions.
The Budget and Finance Committee on July 15 forwarded several airport contract modifications while pressing airport officials on whether work now performed under contractors could be done by city civil-service employees.
Kathy Widener and Kathy Wagner from San Francisco International Airport described three separate items: a Cognient Aviation Security LLC modification to increase the general airport security services contract by $6.2 million (new not-to-exceed $11.7M), a retroactive modification to Hallmark Aviation Services for guest assistance and information services (increase of $13.7M to a $41.1M not-to-exceed amount), and a Vanderlande Industries amendment to operate and maintain passenger boarding bridges and baggage-handling systems (proposed increase offset by a BLA-recommended reduction of about $898,661). Airport staff said the contracts are reimbursable and that much of the work is tied to TSA screening requirements and specialized technical needs.
Chair Sandra Lee Feuer and Supervisor Shamai Walton asked whether civil-service employees could be reassigned to perform some tasks instead of contracting out. Widener said the airport’s current understanding is that certain screening services required by TSA may be performed by non-sworn staff but that staff could work with the Board if the policy direction is to avoid contracting out in future budgets. Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson said a reporting requirement could be drafted to memorialize the request for the airport to examine staffing prior to the next contract renewal.
Why it matters: the items involve multi-million-dollar contract obligations and raise workforce questions about preserving city jobs and the limits of local procurement authority. The committee recommended forwarding the items to the full Board; Chair Feuer asked staff to return with possible reporting language before future renewals.
Quote: "They're very different responsibilities...the police department does not staff our checkpoints on the airfield," Kathy Widener said when explaining differences between screening and sworn officer duties.
Provenance: presentations and Q&A began at SEG 203 and motion/votes recorded across SEG 401–417 (Item 3), SEG 438–558 (Item 4), and SEG 588–699 (Item 5).
