San Francisco Port Commission Meeting - January 14, 2025
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San Francisco Port Commission Meeting - January 14, 2025
The San Francisco Port Commission held its regular meeting on January 14, 2025, at 10:15 AM. The meeting included approval of minutes, an executive session, public comments, election of officers, reports from the Executive Director, consent calendar items, a discussion on South Beach Marina repairs, and an informational presentation on lease negotiations with Bauer Intelligent Transportation. Key decisions included the adoption of a $55.4 million EPA grant for zero-emission ferries and approval of a contract modification for marina repairs.
Consent Calendar
- Item 11A: Authorized modification of Construction Contract No. 2788R for Hyde Street Harbor Repairs, retroactively extending the substantial completion date and increasing the contract amount. (Resolution 2501) – Approved unanimously.
- Item 11B: Authorized acceptance and expenditure of a $55,386,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Ports Program for the San Francisco Waterfront Emissions-Free Ferry System Project. (Resolution 2502) – Approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ellen Jonk (Co-chair of the Maritime Commerce Advisory Committee, speaking personally and as a representative) praised Port staff for leadership, congratulated the Port and WETA on securing the $55 million EPA grant, and recommended that Mayor Lurie look to the Port as a model department. She also noted challenges in securing congressional appropriations for flood studies.
- Pete Stitnik (Managing Partner at Water Bar and Epic Steak, Port tenants for 17 years) expressed frustration with the lengthy approval process for tenant improvements, citing a nine-month wait to install five gas heaters to comply with fire regulations. He urged the Port to streamline bureaucratic processes to encourage investment.
Discussion Items
- Item 10A – Election of Port Commission President and Vice President: Commissioner Kimberly Brandon was nominated and re-elected as President, and Commissioner Gail Gilman was nominated and re-elected as Vice President, both by unanimous vote. Commissioners noted the need for consistent leadership during economic recovery and seawall resilience work.
- Item 10B – Executive Director’s Report: Director Elaine Forbes presented an overview of economic vibrancy, equity initiatives, and resilience projects. She highlighted the completion of the first Prop A project (ADA-accessible float at Fisherman’s Wharf), the upcoming offshore wind grant announcement, and the zero-emission ferry network. She also discussed the citywide hiring and contracting freeze, emphasizing the Port’s need to maintain staffing for safety and capital projects. Director Forbes announced the departure of Deputy Director Nate Cruz after nine years; staff and commissioners offered tributes.
- Item 12A – South Beach Marina Repairs (Contract Modification): Noel and Andre Coleman (Maritime) presented a request to increase the contract by $1.7 million and extend the completion date by 474 days due to unexpected concrete deterioration and corrosion discovered during repairs. The staff compared costs favorably to the Wharf J9 project ($452/sq ft vs. $520/sq ft). Commissioners questioned the oversight but approved the resolution unanimously (Resolution 2503).
- Item 13A – Informational Presentation on Settlement and Lease Negotiations with Bauer Intelligent Transportation: Kimberly Beale (Real Estate) detailed the Port’s history with the tenant, including outstanding rent disputes (Port claims ~$6.4 million; tenant claims ~$2.87 million), COVID-19 rent relief programs, and proposed settlement terms. The Port’s best and final offer included a $500,000 upfront payment, a rent credit for sprinkler installation, and a payment plan. Gary Bauer, owner of Bauer Intelligent Transportation, argued that the Port’s previous offers had been more favorable and that the current terms were unaffordable, given the need to borrow for sprinkler installation. Commissioners expressed frustration and urged Bauer to accept the Port’s offer, noting that the Port had moved significantly and that the tenant’s business is not maritime, so the Port must adhere to public trust obligations. No vote was taken; the item was informational.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes Approved: Minutes of the December 10, 2024 meeting were adopted unanimously.
- Executive Session: The Commission voted to hold a closed session and later voted not to disclose any discussions.
- Officers Elected: Kimberly Brandon re-elected President, Gail Gilman re-elected Vice President (unanimous).
- Consent Calendar: Resolutions 2501 and 2502 adopted unanimously.
- South Beach Marina Repairs: Resolution 2503 adopted unanimously, authorizing a $1.7 million increase and 474-day extension.
- Bauer Lease Negotiations: No action taken; staff and commissioners urged the tenant to accept the Port’s final offer. The Port may consider further steps if no agreement is reached.
- New Business: Commissioner inquired about the transition at Fisherman’s Wharf CBD benefit district and asked about Port outreach to counterparts in Los Angeles following the wildfires. The Executive Director noted the California Association of Port Authorities meeting the next day.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 5:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
President Kimberly Brandon. Here. Vice President Gail Gilman. Present. Commissioner Willie Adams. Commissioner Stephen English. And Commissioner Stephen Lee. Item two is approval of minutes for the December tenth, twenty twenty-four port commission meeting. We have a motion and a second. All in favor? I any opposed. Motion passes unanimously. The minutes of the December tenth twenty twenty-four meeting are adopted. Item three is public comment on executive session. We will take public comment on executive session. Is there any public comment in the room? Seeing none. Comments will be limited to three minutes per person. The queue is now open. Please dial star three if you wish to make public comments. Conferences with legal counsel and real property negotiator as agendized. Motion to go into executive session. All in favor? Aye. Motion passes. We are now in closed session. I move that we do not disclose anything that was discussed in closed session. We have a motion and a second. All in favor? I motion passes unanimously. We are now in open session. Item six is the land acknowledgement. The San Francisco Port Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Rama Tishalone, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramatish Alone have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. Please dial when the item you want to comment on is announced. Meet your device and listen to the meeting from your telephone, which has no delay. Item nine is public comment on items not listed on the agenda. We will now take public comment on items not listed on the agenda. Ellen, you're first thank you. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, Commissioners, Elaine, and staff and the public. I'm Ellen Jonk, and I'm speaking today as co-chair of the Maritime Commerce Advisory Committee, of which I've been there along with Marina Secretano of the Inland Beltman's Union for over 10 years. I also am expressing personal comments as a longtime resident of San Francisco and longtime professional, environmental professional on port projects all over the nation and the bay and uh for the state. It's the start of a bright new year for the port and the city. And I have three brief reasons for saying this, so I can stick to my three-minute time slot. First, I want to thank Andre Coleman, Deputy, Director, and Deputy, Dominic Moreno, and the able staff of the Maritime Department for their incredible leadership over the past year and continuing leading the MCAC. We have been meeting regularly and speaking out on and providing a lot of input on topics, a few of which I'm going to mention here. Number two, together with the Maritime Group, I want to say congratulations to the staff, the leadership at the port in collaboration with the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, WEDA for the skill for Elforts to secure the $55 million grant from the EPA Clean Ports Program for the WIDA's zero emission ferries. This is really exciting. And MCAC weighed in on that. Number two, I haven't quite reached three yet.
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