San Francisco Government Audit and Oversight Committee Regular Meeting - May 1, 2025
San Francisco Government Audit and Oversight Committee Regular Meeting - May 1, 2025
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on May 1, 2025, chaired by Supervisor Jackie Fielder, with Vice Chair Sandra Souter and Supervisor Cheryl. The committee considered two items: an amendment to an MOU with the California Electronic Recording Transaction Network Authority (CERTNA) for electronic recording services, and a resolution of intention to renew and expand the Ocean Avenue Community Benefit District (CBD). Both items were passed with positive recommendations to the full Board of Supervisors.
Discussion Items
Item 1: MOU Amendment with CERTNA
- Holly Lung, Manager of Legislative Affairs for the Office of Assessor Recorder, presented a resolution to amend the MOU with CERTNA. The amendment extends the agreement through January 10, 2035, and increases the per-title recording cost from $0.30 to $0.34. The cost increase is estimated at $5,000–$7,000 annually based on historical document volumes (average 160,000 over 10 years, 118,000 over 3 years). Currently, about 75% of recordings are electronic, with nearly 800 entities submitting electronically. The alternative provider, Secure, would require a $100,000 buy-in fee and renegotiation of nearly 800 MOUs, creating a significant burden. The committee unanimously approved sending the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
Item 2: Ocean Avenue Community Benefit District Renewal and Expansion
- Jackie Hazelwood, Program Director of Community Benefit Districts at OEWD, presented the resolution of intention to renew and expand the Ocean Avenue CBD for a second 15-year term. The CBD, formed in 2010, underwent a strategic plan in 2021 and a Controller's audit in FY 2022-23 that produced 19 recommendations. The audit was closed in July 2024 after recommendations were addressed. The district met the 30% property owner threshold in March 2025. The renewal includes a small expansion to include Lakeside Village, a commercial corridor currently not covered. The balloting period begins May 23, 2025, and concludes at a committee of the whole on July 8, 2025. If approved, services would commence in January 2026. Services include cleaning, maintenance, graffiti removal, and marketing.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kath Sakalakis, representing Lakeside Village, spoke in support of the expansion, noting that the CBD's cleaning and graffiti removal services have been effective since they started working with the Ocean Avenue Association in July 2023. She emphasized the difficulty of fundraising for maintenance and the desire to spread fixed costs over a larger area.
- Christian Martin, Executive Director of the Ocean Avenue Association, expressed support for the renewal and highlighted community collaboration.
Key Outcomes
- The committee voted unanimously (3-0) to send Item 1 (MOU Amendment with CERTNA) to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.
- The committee voted unanimously (3-0) to send Item 2 (Ocean Avenue CBD Resolution of Intention) to the full Board of Supervisors as a committee report with a positive recommendation.
- The next steps for the CBD include ballots mailed on May 23, 2025, and counting at the committee of the whole on July 8, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. This meeting will come to order. Welcome to the May 1st regular meeting of the government on an oversight committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I am Supervisor Jackie Fielder, Chair of the Committee, joined by Vice Chair Saudert, Supervisor Cheryl, committee clerk today is Kalina Mendoza. Our thanks to Colina. Our things to SFGov TV. Sorry. Thanks to Erica Major for being our clerk today, and to Colina Mendoza of S of Gov TV for staff in this meeting. Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, thank you, Chair Fielder. Please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices. Any documents to be included as part of the file should be submitted to the clerk. You may also submit public comment via email to the government audit and oversight clerk at Monique.org. If you submit public comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and made part of the official file. Written comments may also be sent via U.S. Postal Service to City Hall, one Dr. Carl T. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. Items acted upon today are expected to be heard at the Board of Supervisors' agenda on May 13th, unless otherwise stated. Madam Chair. Thank you so much, Madam Clerk. Please call it number one. Item number one is a resolution authorizing the Office of Assessor Recorder to execute amendment number two of the memorandum of understanding with the California Electronic Recording Transaction Network Authority for AB 5578. Thank you. And today we're joined by Ms. Holly Lung, Director of Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Assessor Recorder, who will be presenting this item. Ms. Lung, please go ahead. Good morning, Chair Fielder, Supervisor Souter, and Cheryl. Let me get this up. Great. Thank you again. My name is Holly Long, Manager of Legislative Affairs with Office of Assessor Recorder, and I'm joined by our finance manager, Emily Alt. Thank you for your time today. We're here to request your support for a resolution to amend a memorandum of understanding MOU with the California Electronic Recording Transaction Network Authority, better known as CERTNA. The amendment changes two things, extends the agreement through January 10, 2035, and increases the cost per title from 30 cents to 34 cents. As you may know, our office is responsible for recording real estate documents, such as title transfers, home loan payoffs, and other related filings. These documents become part of the public record. In the past, everything was submitted by mail and in-person. A slow, paper-heavy process. Since 2013, in partnership with CERTNA, we've offered electronic recording, allowing these documents to be submitted and recorded digitally. This resolution ensures we can continue that service without interruption. CERTNA is one of two authorized providers in California, offering secure Department of Justice compliant electronic recording. It's a joint powers authority, and our office has relied on it successfully for over a decade. Why does this matter? Well, CERTNA enables same-day document recording. It eliminates the need for in-person visits or mailing paper documents. It reduces errors thanks to built-in digital validation. It provides a secure DOJ-approved system for transmitting sensitive data.
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