Supervisors advance resolutions letting mayor cast city ballots for three community benefit districts

San Francisco — The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Monday voted to forward three resolutions that would authorize the mayor to cast assessment ballots on behalf of the city for parcels inside proposed or renewed community benefit districts.

Chair Supervisor Malia Cohen introduced the trio of items as routine follow-ups to earlier steps in each district's formation. Jonathan Goldberg, project manager for the Green Benefit District program at Public Works, told the committee the Dogpatch/Northwest Potrero Hill proposal includes seven city-owned parcels — including the former Southeast Police Station and remnants of public right-of-way — and one Recreation and Park parcel (Esprit Park). He said ballots were mailed June 12 after the board's June 9 resolution of intention and that the resolution under consideration would permit the mayor to cast affirmative ballots for those seven city parcels.

Chris Corgus, a project manager in the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, presented the related Yerba Buena renewal and expansion. He said the Department of Elections mailed ballots in mid-June and that eight ballots were sent to the City and County of San Francisco; he reported the city parcels carry a combined assessment of $102,386.13, representing about 3.42% of the district's weighted total.

Corgus also presented the Greater Rincon Hill item, saying one city parcel was subject to assessment with a reported assessment of roughly $318.13 and that one ballot was sent to the city.

Public comment was sparse for the Dogpatch item but more pointed on the Yerba Buena and Rincon Hill measures. A community member who identified himself as "Ace" used public comment to criticize community benefit districts generally, alleging a lack of local leadership and community input in the Fillmore and claiming CBDs have contributed to closures of long-standing Black-owned businesses. "I'm on this case," he said; "the city and county should be ashamed of yourself," urging supervisors to listen to neighborhood residents.

Committee action: Supervisor Jane Kim moved that each item be forwarded with a positive recommendation; Supervisor Scott Wiener seconded. The motions were recorded as passing — Item 1 unanimously, Item 2 advanced "with objection" noted from public comment, and Item 3 advanced without objection. The committee did not record roll-call tallies for individual supervisors on these motions in the hearing record.

What happens next: The committee's positive recommendations send the measures back to the full Board of Supervisors for consideration. The resolutions would allow the mayor or mayoral designee to cast the city's assessment ballots in the respective balloting processes; they do not themselves adopt the districts nor change assessments.