Committee forwards MTA grant, port cleanup funding and several PUC and personnel measures to full Board

The Budget and Finance Committee on Dec. 5, 2007 handled a series of budget and contract items, forwarding multiple measures to the full Board for final action.

A Metropolitan Transportation Commission regional bicycle and pedestrian grant of $2,740,000 (Item 5) was presented by Gerry Levine of the Municipal Transportation Agency; the grant would fund four projects including UN Plaza/BART pedestrian improvements, bicycle-route network upgrades, Golden Gate Park access improvements and Inner Sunset traffic-calming and transit enhancements. The item requires a local match (the Transportation Authority will overmatch the required $354,996) and the budget analyst recommended approval; no public comment was offered and the committee moved the item to the full Board with recommendation.

The committee approved forwarding an ordinance appropriating $250,000 of port operating fund balance for fuel-spill cleanup by commercial vessels, retroactive to Nov. 10, 2007; committee members thanked the Port and local crab-fishing vessels for their role in the cleanup and noted the port is seeking reimbursement from the responsible vessel (referred to in the record as "Costco Busan").

Item 4 introduced a term sheet for a long-term power-sale agreement with Modesto Irrigation District. Cameron Sammy (power purchasing and scheduling manager) said the deal would remove Class III obligations, preserve Class I (Hetch Hetchy) scheduling control, and could save $2.5–3.0 million annually; the committee recommended forwarding the term sheet to the full Board.

The committee also reviewed a PUC financing plan tied to construction at 525 Golden Gate Avenue and Certificates of Participation (COPs). Luke Klip of the Budget Analyst's office reported an estimated COP par of about $155 million and total COP costs from 2011–2040 of roughly $290 million, with estimated rent savings of about $314 million — a net excess of about $24 million under the PUC assumptions. Klip warned the PUC assumption that it would occupy an additional 26,597 square feet by Feb. 2009 is material to the savings calculation; if that space is not occupied, estimated savings could decline by about $48 million. The budget analyst nonetheless recommended approval and the committee forwarded the item to the full Board with recommendation.

On personnel matters, Maureen Gannon of the Sheriff's Department presented an ordinance amending staffing to add 0.5 FTE rehabilitation service coordinator and 0.5 FTE health worker 2, funded by grant dollars; the committee agreed to amend the ordinance to waive $5,882 in indirect costs to maximize program expenditures and forwarded the item as amended.

Finally, Anita Sanchez of the Civil Service Commission presented the annual prevailing wages certification pursuant to Charter Section 7.204 and Administrative Code 6.37; the committee forwarded the resolution to the full Board with recommendation.

Representative quotes

"This resolution would authorize the MTA to accept and expend $2,740,000 in federal regional bike and pedestrian program grant funds," Gerry Levine said, listing the projects covered by the grant.

"We conclude that the PUC will save sufficient lease expenditures to more than offset COP repayment costs, and we recommend approval of the proposed ordinance," Budget Analyst Luke Klip said after reviewing assumptions and sensitivities.

What comes next: All items discussed in this article were forwarded to the full Board for final action; committee recommendations and the Budget Analyst's reports will accompany each item.