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Budget panel approves $2.38 million Visitation Valley infrastructure appropriation to finish library, advance Leland undergrounding
Summary
The committee moved forward an ordinance to appropriate $2,385,068 from the Visitation Valley infrastructure fund, including $2,169,200 for the Visitation Valley branch library and $215,868 for design and planning of utility undergrounding on Leland Avenue; budget staff noted current fund balances require placing $1.1 million on controller reserve pending fee collections.
The Budget and Finance Committee on Dec. 10 moved forward an ordinance to appropriate $2,385,068 in Visitation Valley infrastructure fees to complete two neighborhood projects: the new Visitation Valley branch library and preliminary work to underground utilities on Leland Avenue. The action was taken without objection and will go to the full Board of Supervisors.
John Lau of Supervisor Sophie Maxwell’s office told the committee the Visitation Valley Infrastructure Fund was created by the board in 2005 to mitigate impacts from residential development and to pay for eligible items such as libraries, streets and community facilities. “The ordinance now before you would support 2 key projects within that list of identified eligible expenditures, and that being the Visitation Valley branch library and the undergrounding of utilities on Leland Avenue,” Lau said.
John Deutsch, chief financial officer for the San Francisco Public Library, told supervisors the ordinance assumes a total developer contribution for the branch library of $2,169,200. The library has already advanced preservation-fund money and is seeking appropriation of the developer fees to reimburse that fund; Deutsch asked that $1,107,304 of the balance be placed on the controller’s reserve pending collection of additional Visitation Valley fees.
Chris Uphbrook, project manager in Public Works’ Great Streets program, described the $215,868 request to fund design, utility-agency coordination, establishment of an undergrounding district and community outreach for the Leland Avenue streetscape. “The purpose of utility undergrounding is to eliminate the overhead wires along Leland Avenue … this was the number 1 request of the community coming out of the community planning process,” he said.
Budget analyst staff reported the fund’s current available balance is about $1,228,007.64; the ordinance appropriates more than that and therefore the remainder would be placed on controller’s reserve as described in the legislation. After short public comment—some speakers raised questions about whether Undergrounding is an appropriate mitigation use of the fee and about fund accounting—the committee approved the ordinance with recommendation to the full board.
Next steps: the ordinance will be considered by the Board of Supervisors; the controller’s office will monitor fee collections before the reserved amount is released to the library.
