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Supervisor Malgar proposes Small Business Rezoning Construction Relief Fund to aid businesses affected by rezoning
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee heard an ordinance to create a Small Business Rezoning Construction Relief Fund administered by the Office of Small Business and OEWD, with grants, loans, a two‑year lookback and CPI indexing; the committee accepted sponsor amendments and continued the item to the call of the chair for additional work.
Supervisor Malgar introduced an ordinance to amend the city’s administrative code and create the Small Business Rezoning Construction Relief Fund, saying the program would provide grants and loans to businesses affected by residential rezoning and related construction, and would be administered by the Office of Small Business together with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
The legislation would allow direct grants, technical assistance and, optionally, loans; it establishes the fund as a category‑4 fund (allowing balances to carry forward but not an automatic appropriation) and includes an opt‑in mechanism for taxpayers to designate a portion of gross receipts taxes to the fund. Malgar said the proposal includes a two‑year lookback so businesses displaced before learning about a rezoning could seek support, and an amendment before the committee would raise the gross‑receipts eligibility cap for restaurants and bars to $7,000,000 and require annual adjustment of the revenue threshold by the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco‑Oakland‑Hayward area.
Public commenters urged immediate funding. Kristen Evans of Small Business Forward said funds were not yet in place and asked the committee for an immediate $2–3 million appropriation to support businesses already affected. Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said her organization fully supports the ordinance and its amendments and urged prompt action.
Chair Connie Chan moved to accept the sponsor’s amendments and the committee recorded a roll call (Dorsey, Chen, Chan — all aye). The committee also voted to continue the amended ordinance to the call of the chair for additional substantive work and coordination with other related pieces of legislation before the full Board.
The committee’s action advances the ordinance’s policy language but not a specific appropriation; the fund will require a general fund allocation or outside contributions to be spendable. The sponsor asked staff to return with program details and implementation parameters for committee review before a final vote.
