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Committee advances ordinance to give unclaimed bicycles to community bike-build programs
Summary
The committee approved amendments and recommended to the full Board an ordinance to transfer unclaimed personal property, including unclaimed bicycles worth $500 or less, to the Human Services Agency for community bike-builds and programs that benefit youth and low-income, transit-dependent residents.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee voted to advance an ordinance amending the Police Code to allow certain unclaimed personal property, including unclaimed bicycles with a resale value of $500 or less, to be made available to the Human Services Agency (HSA) to support youth bike-build programs and services for low-income and transit-dependent residents.
Supervisor David Campos and Supervisor John Avalos led the discussion (Supervisor Avalos introduced the item). Avalos said the ordinance would make permanent and expand an existing practice of providing recovered city bicycles to community groups running "convivios" (bike-build workshops) that teach repair skills, distribute helmets and lights and provide bikes to youth. Avalos said the city has already partnered with community-based groups on a series of bike builds since 2012 and that about 400 bicycles have been distributed through the program to date.
Dave Curdo, Director of Contracts and Facilities at the Human Services Agency, described a prior small HSA partnership with the Presidio YMCA and said most recovered bicycles have been adult bikes. He welcomed the ordinance's expansion to make adult bikes available to low-income, transit-challenged adults as well as children. Avalos proposed and the committee approved an amendment limiting distribution to bicycles with a resale value of no more than $500 to avoid releasing higher-value bikes into the resale market.
Community organizations and participants offered strong public support. Speakers from Poder, Power, Chinatown Community Development Center, SF Bicycle Coalition, Chinese Progressive Association and participants who had benefited from bike-builds described the program's impacts on access, health, skills and community leadership.
The committee approved the amendments and forwarded the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for passage.
Next steps: the ordinance and accompanying registry proposal move to the full Board for final action.
