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Committee accepts late amendments to $350 million public health and safety bond; public commenters voice concerns over costs and animal shelter funding
Summary
The committee accepted late amendments to a proposed $350 million public health and safety bond, removing a $54 million Animal Care and Control project from the bond and proposing alternate funding paths; public comment featured multiple small-property owners opposing the bond and advocates urging funding for a new animal shelter, and the item was continued for one week to allow proofreading and city-attorney review.
The Budget and Finance Committee on Jan. 27 reviewed late amendments to a proposed $350 million public health and safety bond that had been considered by the Capital Planning Committee earlier in the week.
Brian Strong, director of capital planning, told the committee the capital-planning amendments replace the $54 million Animal Care and Control (ACC) shelter line with three alternate allocations to be incorporated into the bond: expanded community health-center improvements (including projects beyond the Southeast Health Center), $14 million for neighborhood fire stations, and $20 million for improvements at city-owned shelters and service sites for homeless individuals and families.
Strong said staff will return with more complete project lists and that the amendments originated from multi-agency discussions involving the city attorney, public works, public health and the Mayor's office of housing.
Public comment totaled more than a dozen speakers. Former Supervisor Evan Dufty urged the board to consider joint housing development over (or above) any new ACC facility to pair shelter or transitional housing with animal services. Multiple small-property owners spoke against placing the burden on property owners, saying the bond would increase their financial burdens. Advocates and volunteers, including a library staffer who volunteers as a dog walker at ACC, urged the city to fund a new shelter, noting the existing facility's inadequate 1930s office-building conversion and the shelter's comparatively small budget.
Deputy City Attorney John Gibner asked for time to proofread the late amendments and submit conforming final language to the clerk by 9 a.m. the next morning; the committee accepted that approach. Supervisor Tang moved to accept the proposed amendments (with the city attorney to proofread) and to continue the item for one week; the committee approved that motion by unanimous consent.
Next steps: city attorney will proofread and submit conforming amendment language, staff will provide fuller project lists and cost details, and the committee will hear the item again at its next meeting.
