Committee advances interim budget items and hears department briefings on parks, libraries, commissions and housing

The Budget & Finance Committee moved multiple interim appropriation and administrative items to the full Board of Supervisors and heard extended presentations from several departments and commissions on program priorities, budget requests and workload trends.

Controller Ben Rosenfield described the purpose of the interim budget — an administrative measure that keeps government operating for the one‑month period at the start of the fiscal year — and said the committee should forward the interim appropriation and related salary ordinance so the city can make payments while the July budget process concludes. The Budget Legislative Analyst (BLA) asked for administrative amendments, including a requirement that the controller report by June 1, 2018 on operational savings allocated to the property tax system replacement project and that board approval be required for allocations from the sugar‑sweetened beverage tax. The committee adopted the BLA recommendations and forwarded the items as a committee report.

California Academy of Sciences: John Foley, executive director, and CFO Mike McGee thanked the city for support of the Steinhardt Aquarium and said the academy serves a broad regional audience. McGee said a capital allocation of approximately $912,000 will fund HVAC dehumidification equipment and repairs to climate-control mechanical systems; the academy continues outreach through the Academy for All program and multiple free youth initiatives.

Civil Service Commission: Executive Officer Michael Brown described the commission’s role in maintaining the civil service merit system, conducting audits and working with departments to streamline hiring and apprenticeship pathways. He said completed audits are public and posted online and described efforts to reduce hiring timelines in collaboration with the Department of Human Resources.

Human Rights Commission: Director Cheryl Davis reviewed ongoing programs including discrimination investigations, the community safety initiative with the Police Department, the Help Against Hate campaign, and an "Engineering for Equity" effort to help departments develop equity plans; she noted grant-supported work and regional partnerships focused on displacement and local hiring.

Department on the Status of Women: Director Emily Marase described a $7.34 million current budget with a proposed increase to $7.84 million next year, primarily for grants addressing domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Her slides cited recent outcomes: more than 20,000 individuals served, 12,000 bed nights and thousands of crisis‑line hours.

Ethics Commission: Executive Director Leanne Palom outlined a proposed FY18 budget around $4.5 million, reclassifications and one new senior engagement/compliance position, and technology investments for disclosure and auditing work, including public financing appropriations tied to the per‑resident formula the city uses to fund campaign public financing.

Law Library: Marcia Bell noted the library’s core public function, free access to expensive databases, and a small staff; she said the current budget is about $1.727 million with a proposed FY18 budget of $1.856 million and reported declining non‑city revenue over recent years.

Rent Board: Executive Director Robert Collins emphasized shifting workload patterns — fewer traditional petitions but rising buyouts, soft‑story seismic retrofit pass‑throughs, and no‑fault eviction reports — and requested a roughly 7.1 percent budget increase largely to annualize positions approved last year and to add an administrative law judge. Collins noted the Rent Board is non‑general‑fund and funded by a fee (about $40 currently) that would be adjusted to cover the proposed budget (projected to $44–$45 under the presented plan).

Board of Appeals: Cynthia Goldstein reported a modest projected decline in appeals for the year and requested modest budget increases to cover salary and infrastructure costs; she asked the committee to consider adjustments to surcharge rates collected by other departments that fund Board of Appeals work.

Several items and departmental presentations were continued or scheduled for further review in subsequent committee meetings; the meeting concluded after motions to continue select hearings and adjournment.