San Francisco Port Commission Meeting – August 10, 2021
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San Francisco Port Commission Meeting – August 10, 2021
The San Francisco Port Commission met on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 3:15 PM, adjourning at 7:46 PM. Items included approval of minutes, the Executive Director's report, a Racial Equity Action Plan progress report, a resolution on the Embarcadero Enhancement Project (quick build), a Waterfront Resilience Program overview, budget increases for Mission Rock Phase 1, a licensed vending pilot program, and an informational presentation on a pop-up request for qualifications. Public comments were heard on several items.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (July 13, 2021): Motion passed unanimously.
- Pledge of Allegiance and announcements were routine.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Items Not on Agenda: No public comments.
- Executive Director's Report: No public comments.
- Racial Equity Action Plan (Item 7A): No public comments.
- Embarcadero Enhancement Project (Item 8A): Eight callers spoke, mostly merchants from Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. They expressed strong opposition to reducing northbound traffic to one lane at Broadway, citing potential gridlock and harm to economic recovery. Some supported a protected bike lane but insisted on maintaining two lanes in each direction. One cyclist supported quick build but warned that lane reduction could increase danger.
- Waterfront Resilience Program (Item 9A): No public comments.
- Mission Rock Phase 1 Budget (Item 10A): No public comments.
- Licensed Vending Pilot Program (Item 10B): Three callers spoke in favor, including representatives from Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District, and a resident. They praised the program for bringing order to vending.
- Pop-Up RFQ (Item 10C): One caller, a Mission Bay resident, raised concerns about an area near Pier 30-32, asking for activation and addressing homeless encampments.
Discussion Items
- Executive Director’s Report (Item 6a): Elaine Forbes reported on COVID-19 health orders, economic recovery (operating reserves of $78M vs. budgeted $56M; 30% less revenue than prior year), cable car return (free rides in August), ferry ridership increases (20-50% from COVID low), Treasure Island ferry test (August 5, 2021), and Mission Rock LEED Gold certification. Commissioners commended staff, discussed parking revenue decline (linked to COVID, ride-share trends), and expressed excitement about Treasure Island ferry for equity.
- Racial Equity Action Plan – REAP (Item 7a): Tony Autry, Lavina Holmes, and Tiffany Tatum presented progress: 136 actions, 30 targeted for 2021, with 27 in progress and 3 complete. Highlights included staff demographics compiled, performance appraisal updates, micro-LBE emergency loan program (20 loans, 10 to BIPOC), outreach to 30+ ethnic organizations, and a Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement resolution. Expenses totaled $1.1M. Challenges included pandemic, staffing, and contractor availability. Commissioners praised the work and suggested adding fun elements like potlucks to build culture. Resolution 2131 (Land Acknowledgement) passed unanimously.
- Embarcadero Enhancement Project – Quick Build (Item 8a): SFMTA Director Jeff Tumlin, Casey Hildreth, and Mark Dreger presented refinements to the proposed bike lane and traffic changes between Mission and Broadway. A field test at Broadway was proposed to test two configurations: two northbound lanes with one left turn (Option A) or one northbound lane with two left turns (Option B). Extensive public comment raised concerns about traffic congestion. Commissioners added an amendment requiring SFMTA to return to the commission before any permanent change to Broadway configuration. The resolution (2132) was adopted unanimously with the amendment.
- Waterfront Resilience Program (Item 9a): Brad Benson outlined a programmatic delivery process for multi-billion-dollar investments to reduce earthquake and flood risk. Three phases: planning, pre-design, final design/construction. Over 20 early projects identified. Commissioners supported the approach and requested strong LBE participation and community engagement. No vote required.
- Mission Rock Phase 1 Budget Increase (Item 10a): Staff requested increasing Phase 1 budget from $145M to $184.2M (27% increase) and modifying China Basin Park sequencing (in-water portions delayed to Phase 2). The net present value to the port remained near original projections ($190M NPV) due to cost-saving measures. LBE awards reached 19% of $490M spent. Contingency increased from 7% to 10%. Commissioner Wu Ho asked for future modeling to anticipate Phase 2 costs. Resolution 2123 approved unanimously.
- Licensed Vending Pilot Program (Item 10b): Mike Martin and Boris Delepine presented the program: $100 annual permit, designated locations (up to 3 vendors per site), first-come-first-served initially, enforcement tied to health/safety. Outreach partner (Mission Economic Development Agency) will provide technical assistance. Commissioners supported the program; questions addressed scalability, food safety monitoring, and enforcement. Resolution 2134 adopted unanimously.
- Pop-Up Request for Qualifications (Item 10c): Chris Atanoli reported on RFQ outcomes: 22 submittals, 17 qualified (5 small, 4 medium, 8 large). Examples include Bay Area Jazz Mobile, Gumbo Social, and Craig's A La Carte. Next steps include coordinating with vending pilot, community engagement (Southern/Northern Waterfront Advisory Committees), and developing fee structures. Commissioners requested clearer guidelines on license terms, fee waivers, and programmatic continuity. No vote; informational only.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Unanimously: Minutes (July 13, 2021); Resolution 2131 (Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement); Resolution 2132 (Embarcadero Quick Build with amendment requiring commission return on Broadway changes); Resolution 2123 (Mission Rock Phase 1 budget increase and park sequencing); Resolution 2134 (Licensed Vending Pilot Program).
- Directives: Port staff to bring back revenue projections and a joint briefing with SFMTA (new business). For the pop-up program, staff will return with detailed guidelines on terms, fees, and program structure. For Mission Rock, staff will provide modeling for Phase 2 costs before the December 2022 deadline.
- Next Steps: Embarcadero Quick Build implementation expected in early 2022; staff will report back on initial traffic data. Vending pilot launches September 2021. Pop-up RFQ activations planned for September-October 2021 with ongoing community engagement.
Meeting Transcript
Tuesday, August 10th, 2021. Port Commission President Kimberly Brandon called the meeting to order at 3 15 p.m. Item number one is roll call. President Kimberly Brandon. Vice President Willie Adams. Here. Commissioner John Burton. Here. Commissioner Gail Gilman. Present. Commissioner Doreen Wuho. Item number two is approval of minutes for the July 13th, 2021 Port Commission meeting. Second. President Brandon. Yes. Vice President Adams. Yes. Commissioner Burton. Commissioner Gilman. Yes. Commissioner Wuho. Yes. Item number three is the Pledge of Allegiance. Sorry to interrupt you. The motion passes unanimously. The minutes of the July 13th, 2021 meeting. Now item number three is the Pledge of Allegiance. Of the United States, South America. And to the Republic. For which it stands. One of the individual with liberty and justice for all. Item number four is announcements. Please be advised that a member of the public has up to three minutes to make pertinent public comments on each agenda item unless the port commission adopts a shorter period on any item. Please note that during the public comment period, our moderator Jenica will instruct dial-in participants to use the touchstone phone to register their desire to public comment. Please note that if you're watching this meeting on SFGov TV streaming on the internet, there is a short broadcasting delay. So when the item you want to comment on is announced, please dial 1415 65501 and enter access code 1461708570 pound. And then please mute the volume on your computer or device and listen only through your phone, which is a live broadcast with no delay. And then when public comment on the item is announced, dial star three to raise your hand to comment and listen for an audio prompt to signal when it is your turn to comment. For our meeting presenters and participants, please remember to mute your microphones and turn off your cameras when you're not presenting. And that brings us to item five public comment on items not listed on the agenda. Thank you, Clara. We will now follow mine to take public. That's not listed on the agenda. Jennifer. Five instructions now. Anyone on the phone who would like to provide public. Thank you, President Brandon. At this time, we will open the queue for anyone on the phone who would like to make public comment on items not listed on the agenda. Please dial star three if you wish to make public comment. The system will let you know when your line is open.
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