Budget subcommittee forwards six items — including Disaster Corps grant and $30M SFPUC contract — to Board of Supervisors

The Budget and Finance Subcommittee, chaired by Carmen Chu, met on May 11 and unanimously moved to forward six items as committee reports to the Board of Supervisors’ May 15 meeting.

The top action was Item 1: acceptance of a $125,000 grant from California Volunteers for the state’s Disaster Corps. "The item before you is an acceptance spend for $125,000 from a program called California Volunteers, which is a state agency," said Ami Alden of the Department of Emergency Management, adding the grant will fund recruitment and advanced training (CPR, first aid and incident command) and continue a volunteer coordinator position at the Fire Department. The committee forwarded the resolution without public comment.

Two airport lease proposals were also advanced. Kathy Weidner of the San Francisco Airport described a proposed three‑year lease with All Clear LLC to operate a registered‑traveler expedited screening service at seven checkpoints, with a $179 member fee and a lease structure that includes a $650,000 minimum annual guarantee or 10% of gross revenues. "Based on current membership figures, they project that the rent payable to the airport will be in the amount of approximately $2,800,000 over the initial 3 year term of the lease," Weidner said. Severn Campbell of the Budget and Legislative Analyst noted a conservative estimate of roughly $2,000,000 if only the minimum guarantee materializes and recommended approval.

Item 3, a luggage‑cart lease with Smart Cart, was amended before being forwarded. Airport staff described two components: paid self‑service cart rentals (at least 4,500 carts at $5 each) and 1,500 free carts in international customs; staff estimated the net effect would result in significant payments over the lease term. The budget office recommended amending the resolution to add a not‑to‑exceed figure to reflect the airport’s total net payment; the committee accepted an amended not‑to‑exceed amount and forwarded the item.

The subcommittee also recommended a lease (Item 4) for about 11,700 square feet at 230 Golden Gate Avenue for the new Tenderloin Primary Care and Wellness Center. John Updike, acting director of Real Estate, said the 10‑year lease at $12 per square foot is tied to a comprehensive redevelopment that includes roughly 172 supportive‑housing units above the clinic. Project manager Mark Trotz said moving primary care into the new site will allow Tom Waddell to focus on urgent care. The budget office projected first‑year general fund costs of about $334,000 and estimated $3.7 million over the first 10 years; Don Falk of TNDC noted a competitive national award that will bring at least $800,000 over two years to support services.

The biggest dollar item was Item 5: a nine‑year professional services agreement for planning and engineering for the SFPUC’s Central Bayside improvements, not to exceed $30,000,000. Manfred Wong, the SFPUC project manager, said the contract would address a 66‑inch channel force main built in the early 1980s that carries roughly two‑thirds of the city’s wastewater and has failed three times historically. "This project is of critical importance," Wong said, noting the project will evaluate alternatives including a potential deep gravity tunnel. Wong and assistant general manager Harlan Kelly described proposed community benefits from the consultant team — including cash contributions and volunteered hours — which the PUC characterized as voluntary contributions outside invoiced contract costs. The budget analyst recommended adding an annual reporting requirement on community benefits; the committee accepted the amendment and forwarded the item.

Finally, Item 6 — an ordinance amending San Francisco Administrative Code section 10.17.0‑1 to allow departments to accept and expend grants administratively when under $100,000 (with clarified rules for cumulative increases and controller guidelines for smaller adjustments) — was forwarded as a committee report to the Board.

Votes at a glance: each item was moved and forwarded as a committee report to the May 15 Board meeting "without objection," according to the meeting record. Departments were directed to file conforming legislation as needed (PUC was asked to submit revised language by the stated deadline).

The subcommittee convened at 3:30 p.m. after a re‑notice and adjourned after completing the agenda.