Committee forwards Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District annual reports to full Board

The committee received and approved by motion a resolution forwarding the annual reports for the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District (landside and portside) to the full Board with a positive recommendation. Chris Eitano, senior project manager at the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), summarized the agency's review of the districts' financial benchmarks, noting overall compliance in most areas and carry-forward balances averaging $200,000 to $300,000 due to delays in assessment collections.

OEWD reviewed four benchmarks: adherence of actual budgets to management plans (within a 10 percentage point tolerance), non-assessment revenue targets (5% goal), budget-to-actual item variances, and documentation of carryover funds. The landside district largely complied with the benchmarks; the portside district showed minor variances in the District Identity and Streetscape Improvements line item for several fiscal years.

Troy Campbell, executive director of the Fisherman's Wharf CBD, highlighted the district's programs and partnerships: the Fishnet emergency-preparedness network, holiday lights and promotional brochures, a hospitality ambassador program and a zero-waste grant program that helped restaurants move to compostable service ware. He said the district collects roughly $800,000 annually in assessments and noted the CBD's expiration date of June 30, 2020.

OEWD recommended improved separation of landside and portside reporting and earlier mid-year reviews; the committee moved the resolution forward to the full Board without objection.

Ending: The committee advanced the reports to the full Board for final consideration, directing OEWD and district staff to continue improving fiscal reporting and mid-year oversight.