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Supercommittee approves Yerba Buena Community Benefit District annual reports and presses fundraising equity questions
Summary
The Budget & Finance subcommittee received and approved Yerba Buena CBD annual reports for FY 2007–08 and 2009–10, noted the district’s $2.5 million budget and $2.3 million net assets, and questioned its reliance on outside fundraising and competition for community challenge grants.
The subcommittee received and approved annual reports and the proposed FY 2010–11 budget for the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District. Trina Villanueva of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development presented the CBD’s management plan alignment, governance structure and budget, noting the district receives assessments from about 1,700 properties and dedicates roughly 60% of its budget to sidewalk operations and cleaning.
Kathy Maupin, executive director of the Yerba Buena CBD, outlined services including a paid street clean team operating daily, community guides, a bicycle SFPD officer, performance standards for cleanliness, a community benefit fund for small grants, branding and outreach, and a schedule of neighborhood events. OEWD reported the CBD held net assets of approximately $2.3 million at the end of FY 2009–10 and planned to spend about $3.3 million in the current fiscal year while carrying $772,000 forward.
Supervisors pressed whether it was appropriate for a large CBD to pursue community challenge grants and whether grant competitions were equitable for neighborhoods without CBDs. OEWD said each CBD’s management plan controls allowable uses and that many smaller CBDs lack capital funds and therefore seek grant support; the challenge grant program sets its own criteria. Supervisors asked OEWD to follow up with the challenge grant program to ensure fair competition and geography‑based equity.
Two neighborhood residents and CBD board representatives spoke in support of the Yerba Buena CBD, citing improvements in cleanliness, safety and neighborhood identity. The committee moved the item forward with recommendation without objection.
