Committee actions: funding, leases and Treasure Island cooperative agreement; several items continued

The Budget and Finance Committee acted on a range of supplemental budget and administrative items.

Notable outcomes:

- Item 5 (Peninsula Corridor/SamTrans right-of-way settlement): Staff recommended approval of an amendment that reduces San Francisco's payment for Caltrans right-of-way from about $8.3 million to $2.0 million; the committee forwarded the matter with recommendation.

- Item 7 (Leland Avenue streetscape): The committee approved appropriation of $110,632 from the Visitation Valley Infrastructure Fund to design underground utilities; PG&E will perform design work and is expected to pay 60% of construction costs.

- Item 8 (HSA leases at 3120 Mission and 3425 Cesar Chavez): Staff proposed extending both leases through June 30, 2035 with an initially reduced rental rate; supervisors requested inclusion of Rhonda Simmons in next-week follow-up and continued the item for one week.

- Item 9 (Mental Health Services Act plan update): DPH recommended amending the plan to accept an additional $1,766,236 allocated after the budget process; the committee forwarded the amended item with full recommendation.

- Item 10 (Treasure Island cooperative agreement with U.S. Navy): The routine annual extension to Sept. 30, 2009 was presented; supervisors requested clarification of energy and other utility contract terms and continued the item for one week to obtain that information.

- Item 11 (Release of reserve funds, HSA): The committee considered releasing $243,220 to fund 2.5 positions tied to an OED work order for workforce services; after debate about whether general fund positions could be repurposed, the committee voted 2'to'1 to release the funds.

- Item 13 (Tax-exempt bonds as financing conduit for Pacific Primary): The committee sent a resolution forward allowing conduit issuance of up to $6 million in tax-exempt bonds for a nonprofit; staff noted the city bears no liability.