Supervisors advance parks charter amendment, accept technical changes and continue review to Dec. 10

A San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee hearing on Nov. 12 advanced a proposed charter amendment intended to stabilize funding for the Recreation and Park Department and to tighten planning and accountability, but the committee continued the item for further revision on Dec. 10.

Author Supervisor Mark Farrell said the voter initiative would establish an annual baseline appropriation tied to city spending in fiscal year 2015–16, mandate planning and periodic performance audits, and provide roughly $350,000,000 in new funds for parks over 15 years. "This voter initiative is a charter amendment that would guarantee just over $350,000,000 in new funding for the Rec and Park Department over the next 15 years," Farrell said, summarizing the measure's fiscal intent and oversight additions.

Phil Ginsberg, general manager of the Recreation and Park Department, gave a department briefing that framed the amendment as a response to rising use and a large deferred-maintenance backlog. Ginsberg said the department’s 2015–16 operating budget is about $178 million and its capital budget about $39.1 million, including $15 million of recurring general-fund capital support; he told the committee the city has amassed nearly $1 billion in deferred maintenance and that the amendment’s baseline would protect park operations during future downturns. "The baseline aspect of this measure really will protect us from future economic downturns," Ginsberg said.

Supporters at the hearing — including the San Francisco Parks Alliance, Park and Recreation advisory members, labor representatives and many neighborhood park advocates — argued the charter language would provide planning stability and predictable funding. Matt O’Grady of the Parks Alliance said the proposal would replace repeated cuts with steady, predictable general-fund support and add stronger planning and audit requirements.

Critics — including former advisory-committee members, the San Francisco Forest Alliance and other neighborhood groups — urged changes before placing the amendment on the ballot. They objected that the measure, as drafted, did not specify spending priorities or sufficient public oversight and that it allows some flexibility that could let general-fund dollars be used for purposes other than maintenance or tree care. "This initiative still fails to resolve the pressing maintenance problems and funding issues that we all want fixed," former ProSAC member Nancy Werfel said.

Committee members accepted a package of technical amendments from Supervisor Katie Tang and others. Tang’s changes would require the capital-expenditure plan to include a deferred-maintenance plan that lists asset condition, costs if left unaddressed, prioritization of heavily used assets, community input, geographic equity and socioeconomic equity; she also added language on irrigation, water conservation and urban forestry in park capital plans.

After debate and public testimony, the committee voted to continue the charter amendment to the Rules Committee meeting on Dec. 10 for further amendment and public consideration. Chair John Avalos said the continuance would allow staff, advocates and supervisors to reconcile outstanding questions about specificity, oversight and enforcement of equity provisions.

The committee did not place a final ballot measure on today’s agenda; the item remains subject to further amendments before the board decides whether to put the charter change before voters on the June 7, 2016 ballot.