Meeting will come to order.

This is the May 19th, 2021 budget and appropriations committee meeting.

I'm Matt Haney, Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, joined by committee members President Walton, Supervisors Ronan, Safai and Marr.

Our clerk is Ms.

Minda Wong.

I want to thank Colina Mendoza and Shivila Reniga from SFGov TV for broadcasting this meeting.

Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements?

Yes, Mr.

Chair.

Due to the COVID-19th HALT emergency and to protect board members, city employees and the public, the Board of Supervisors, Legislative Chamber, and Committee Room are closed.

However, members will be participating in the meeting remotely.

This precaution is taken pursuant to the various local state and federal orders, declarations, and directives.

Committee members will attend a meeting through video conference and participate in the meeting to the same extent as if they're physically present.

Public comment will be available on each item on this agenda, channels 26, 7899 and sfgtv.org are streaming the number across the screen.

Each speaker will be allowed two minutes to speak, comments or opportunities to speak during public comment period available via phone call by calling 415 655 0001 meeting ID 187217002, then press pound twice.

When connected, you will hear the meeting discussions, but you will be muted and in listening mode only.

When your item of interest comes up, dial star three to be added to the speaker line.

Best practices are to call from a quad location, speak clearly and slowly, and turn down your television.

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Email to myself, the budget and appropriations committee clerk at L I N D A dot W O N G at SF G-O-V dot O R G.

If you submit public comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and will be included as part of the official file.

Finally, items acted up upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors Agenda of May 25th, unless otherwise stated.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um can you please call items one and two together?

Yes, item number one ordinance appropriating 12.5 million from the COVID contingency reserve to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to support a free muni pilot program in July, August, and September 2021 and fiscal years 2020 to 2021.

Item number two is an ordinance amending the administrative code to create a special fund for a free muni pilot program ending September 30, 2021 and setting conditions for use of the fund.

Members of the public who wish to provide public comment on these items should call 415 65501 meeting ID 187-9217002, then press pound twice.

If you have not already done so, please start three to runov to speak.

Assistant prompt will indicate you have raised your hand.

Please wait until the system indicates you have been unmuted and you'll make any comment.

Great.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

I believe we have Supervisor Preston who's here who's going to make some comments.

Supervisor Preston.

Thank you, Chair Haney.

Um, and uh thank you to you and the committee for the robust uh discussion on this item um and the amendments uh to these uh two companion ordinances last week.

Um really want to reiterate my thanks to you, uh Chair Haney, for introducing this uh with me as the original uh co-sponsor uh and also to our our additional early co-sponsors, uh President Walton uh and and supervisor uh supervisor Ronan and Chan.

Um, and and also wanted to thank Supervisor Maher for his supportive statements uh regarding free muni uh at the last hearing.

Um, the ordinances before you would appropriate 12.5 million dollars for a three-month free muni pilot to begin July 1, as we discussed in more detail uh last week.

Um, and my office is continued to engage with MTA leadership and other stakeholders about the pilot, and we will continue doing that uh as this item uh moves forward.

As I've said before, I think we have a unique opportunity here with low ridership, low fare revenues coming in anyway, um, a need for people to return to transit, rising congestion, um, and a budget uh that allows us uh to fund this pilot if it's a priority.

Um, and I think this is a direct way to get money into the pockets of San Franciscans during this recovery uh period and while trying out a fare-free uh period of time in it to welcome Muni riders uh back on buses and trains.

So I urge the committee to advance uh the proposal to the full board with recommendation and just want to thank you again uh for your time and consideration during what I know is a very busy budget season.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Supervisor Preston.

I I do want to is SOMTA here.

Is there a representative from SAMTA?

In the meantime, Supervisor Ronin.

Thank you, Chair Haney, and thank you, uh Supervisor Preston, for bringing this forward.

I uh missed the hearing last week.

I know it was very long and you had discussion.

I just wanted to add my two cents.

Um hopefully I won't have to even pay that uh when riding Muni this summer.

Um I I uh believe that this uh is a really really smart investment for uh the long-term future of public transit in San Francisco.

I think that people are still scared to get on public transit and being able to try it out without paying quite frankly a lot of money for a ride.

Uh I can't even believe how expensive Muni and BART have become.

And um this is this is a chance to to regain confidence to to try it out and to send the message to San Franciscans that uh we've got their back during this time when they're trying to economically recover from this pandemic, and that uh one way we can help and and and they can rebuild their lives and get back to work and get back to school is through public public transit, which as um a transit versity uh for environmental reasons, for congestion reasons.

We want to encourage every single way we can.