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Committee Accepts Ocean Avenue CBD Multi‑Year Reports; OEWD Flags Reporting Issues
Summary
The Government and Oversight Committee reviewed Ocean Avenue Community Benefit District activity for fiscal years 2011–2014. OEWD found most service categories met plan benchmarks but said reporting of grant and carry‑forward funds needs clearer accounting; the committee forwarded the item to the full board.
The Government and Oversight Committee on Jan. 21 accepted annual reports for the Ocean Avenue Community Benefit District covering fiscal years 2011–2014 and forwarded the resolution to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.
The district’s executive director, Dan Weaver, told the committee the Ocean Avenue CBD serves 211 parcels along Ocean Avenue (Manor Drive to Interstate 280) and, per the original management plan, generates $239,578 in assessment revenue subject to annual cost‑of‑living adjustments. Richard Carrillo, Project Manager with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, said OEWD reviewed three fiscal years (07/01/2011 through 06/30/2014) and applied four budget benchmarks — year‑to‑year budget vs. the management plan, non‑assessment revenue goals, budget‑to‑actual variances and identification of carry‑forward funds.
Carrillo told the committee the CBD met the management‑plan variance rule and exceeded its non‑assessment revenue requirement, but that the district did not meet the budget‑versus‑actuals reporting benchmark in all years. He said some Community Development Block Grant funding used for management and operations had distorted the reporting and that OEWD will change reporting practices in fiscal 2016–17 so grants do not artificially skew compliance measures. Carrillo also recommended future annual reports explicitly state how any surplus carry‑forward funds would be allocated.
Weaver described program activity funded by assessments and grants — including cleaning and graffiti removal, marketing and events — and outlined partnerships with city agencies. He said the CBD’s recent projects are aimed at safety, streetscape improvements and business retention while acknowledging ongoing challenges including commercial vacancies and development pressure.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin asked why OEWD submitted a three‑year report instead of annual reports. Carrillo and OEWD staff explained staffing shortages delayed reporting; OEWD said it recently hired staff and expects to return to an annual schedule. Supervisor Peskin emphasized the need for regular oversight and suggested discussing whether CBDs should provide additional administration fees to fund OEWD oversight.
The committee voted to forward the resolution to the full board with a positive recommendation. The committee did not take any further changes to the CBD’s management plan or assessments at the hearing.
What’s next: The committee forwarded the item to the full Board of Supervisors for final action and OEWD said future reports will show revised grant accounting to avoid distorting budget‑to‑actual comparisons.
