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Committee defers Prop J golf contracting decision after public outcry over privatization
Summary
After extensive public comment and testimony from unions and neighborhood groups, the Budget & Finance Committee delayed a decision on Prop J contracting for city golf-course maintenance and continued the item for further hearings.
The Budget and Finance Committee on June 25 deferred a decision on a Prop J contracting determination that would allow Recreation & Park—s golf-course maintenance positions to be performed by private contractors. The committee continued the item to a later hearing (Thursday/June 28) after hours of public comment and concerns from unions, park advocates and neighborhood groups.
Members of the Neighborhood Parks Council and labor organizations urged the committee not to endorse broad contracting without a study of other uses and without clarity on long-term public access and job impacts. Isabel Wade, representing the Neighborhood Parks Council, said, "We are opposed to the use of Prop J at this point. We feel very strongly that Rec and Park needs to do a study related to the opportunities that the golf courses represent for other recreation uses that are higher priority."
Zachary Salem, chair of the Golf Committee of Laborers Local 261 and a greenkeeper at Lincoln Park Golf Course, said the labor council opposes privatization and warned that public access and maintenance standards could suffer. "Cheaper is not always better," Salem said, arguing city employees have maintained courses for nearly a century and pointing to recent successful renovations done by city staff.
Other commenters raised questions about the financial analysis underpinning the Prop J determination, the calculation of contractor fringe and overhead, the number of courses included, and whether golf-course land might be better used for other recreation purposes. Nancy Wirfel told supervisors, "With so many unknowns and with so much land at stake, I urge you not to rush into approving this Prop J determination."
Procedurally the committee voted to continue the item: Supervisor Dufty moved to continue item 12 to the Thursday meeting and Supervisor Mercarimi seconded; the motion passed without objection.
What happens next: Staff will prepare a fuller presentation and the committee will revisit the Prop J contracting determination on the scheduled follow-up date. The public also signaled an expectation for more analysis of alternatives, fiscal detail and how any lease or contracting arrangement would protect public access and living-wage jobs.
Provenance: Item 12 was read by the clerk (SEG 3741) and the item was continued after public comment and a motion to continue (SEG 4170—4172).
