South San Francisco City Council Regular Meeting - March 24, 2021

The South San Francisco City Council held a regular teleconference meeting on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, beginning at 6:00 PM. The meeting included presentations, public hearings, and actions on numerous agenda items, with a focus on airport noise insulation, facility naming, COVID-19 recovery support for businesses, and community safety.

Presentations

• San Francisco International Airport Update & Noise Insulation Program: Airport Director Ivar Satero presented on the status of SFO's noise insulation program, including the "Second Chance Initiative" (214 properties invited, 70 dwellings expected to receive insulation at $8 million cost) and the "Repair and Replacement Initiative" (773 applications, 457 eligible properties, $4.3 million estimate to complete for the first 194 homes). Satero also reported that passenger traffic is down 71% from pre-pandemic levels, with 50% aircraft operations but only 20% passenger activity. He projected recovery to 58 million passengers (pre-COVID level) by 2024-2025, noting the airport has received approximately $300 million in federal stimulus and hopes for an additional $193 million from the third stimulus package.
• Proclamation Honoring Aubrey Merriman: Councilmember Flores read a proclamation recognizing Aubrey Merriman for his six years of leadership as CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County. Merriman spoke, thanking the council and community. The proclamation was adopted.
• Proclamation Recognizing National Library Week (April 4-10, 2021): Mayor Addiego read a proclamation sponsored by the American Library Association. Library Board President Diane Huddleston reported that the library completed over 93,000 transactions during the pandemic.

Consent Calendar

Items 4, 5, 6 (removed for discussion), 7, 8, 9 (removed for discussion), 10 (removed for discussion), and 11 were on the consent calendar. Items 6, 9, and 10 were pulled for separate discussion. The remaining consent items were approved by roll call vote (all ayes).

Items Removed from Consent Calendar

• Item 6 – 2020 Pavement Rehabilitation Project: Councilmember Flores requested clarification on bid alternatives and the contingency percentage. The bid alternate includes additional streets in Sunshine Gardens; contingency is 20% (not 10% as text stated). The resolution awarding a construction contract to Bay Cities Paving & Grading, Inc. for $2,541,450 (total authority $3,049,740) was approved (all ayes).
• Item 9 – Outdoor Dining Pilot Program Extension: Councilmember Flores questioned the termination trigger (originally 60 days after lifting shelter-in-place or resumption of full indoor dining). Senior Planner Chris Espiritu clarified the intention is to align with the green tier, not necessarily 100% indoor capacity. Additional performance measures regarding platform widths and drainage will be included. No ABC violations were reported. The resolution was approved (all ayes).
• Item 10 – Safe Storage of Firearms Ordinance: Councilmember Coleman proposed strengthening the ordinance to require a free trigger lock program instead of the 'if' language (which said 'if the city establishes a program'). City Attorney noted that amending the ordinance would delay adoption by three weeks. Police Captain Scott Campbell stated the intent is to provide locks regardless, and the department expects to receive trigger locks within days. The council opted to pass the ordinance as-is and consider a future resolution to formalize the program. The ordinance was adopted by roll call (all ayes).

Public Comments & Testimony

• During Item 13 (Naming): Kumkum Gupta congratulated the honorees. Francis Luster advocated for future recognition of Ann Waters, who worked to establish the Westborough Rec Center and playground.
• General Public Comment: Mina Richardson again advocated for Ann Waters, noting her role in building the Westborough Rec Center in 1988. Alyssa Canfield, Program Manager at Star Vista, thanked the council for supporting the transitional youth services program that serves former foster youth.
• Public Hearing – Item 12 (CDBG): Representatives from 11 nonprofit organizations provided testimony on their programs and impacts during COVID-19, including: Rebuilding Together Peninsula (9 Safe at Home repairs completed), Ombudsman Services (120 facility visits), HIP Housing (home sharing), Rape Trauma Services (372 South City clients), Center for Independence of Individuals with Disabilities (13 modification projects completed, exceeding goals), CORA (domestic violence services), El Concilio (minor home repairs and energy assistance, served over 30 households), United Way Bay Area 211 (1,854 calls/texts from South San Francisco residents in first half of FY21, up from projected 300), Legal Aid Society (eviction prevention work), and Friends for Youth (mentoring programs, seeking expansion to South San Francisco).

Discussion Items

• Item 13 – Renaming of Westborough Recreation Center, Magnolia Center, and Naming of Caltrain Plaza: The council adopted a resolution renaming Westborough Recreation Center as the Alice Peña Bulos Community Center (honoring the late community leader known as the "Grande Dame of Filipino American politics"), the Magnolia Center as the Roberta Cherry Telia Center (honoring the city's first female councilmember and mayor), and the new Caltrain Station Plaza as the Carol Matsumoto Plaza (honoring the first five-time mayor and advocate for the Caltrain station project). The Parks and Recreation Commission had unanimously approved the renaming on March 16, 2021. Family members and honorees spoke in acceptance. The resolution passed unanimously.
• Item 14 – $260,000 Grant to San Mateo County Strong Restaurant, Brewery & Winery Program: The city granted $260,000 to fund 26 additional $10,000 grants to eligible South San Francisco businesses (40 eligible businesses total; 14 had already been funded by the county). The 26 grantees will be selected from the remaining eligible pool, avoiding a lottery. Funds are expected to be replenished from future American Rescue Plan Act allocations. The resolution passed unanimously.
• Item 15 – Memorandum of Understanding with County for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Center: The council approved an MOU with San Mateo County to establish a North County small business center in South San Francisco. The county appropriated $200,000; the city will share costs. Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center will be the preferred service provider. The program will prioritize South San Francisco businesses but serve the North County region. A more detailed contract will come back in April. The resolution passed unanimously.
• Item 17 – Smart Corridor Expansion Project: The council approved a resolution accepting grant funding from C/CAG and Caltrans ($6.56 million total) for the construction phase of the city's Smart Corridor Expansion Project (Phase 4 of the countywide program). The project includes traffic signal upgrades, CCTV cameras, electronic message signs, and fiber communication. Construction is scheduled to begin fall 2021. The resolution passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• The council approved a proclamation honoring Aubrey Merriman and another recognizing National Library Week.
• Resolution passed to conclude the South San Francisco Airport Noise Insulation Program and return $784,812.15 in unspent funds to SFO (Item 16).
• The consent calendar (minus pulled items) was approved by roll call (5-0).
• Items 6, 9, and 10 from the consent calendar were individually discussed and approved (5-0 each).
• The facility renaming/naming resolution (Item 13) passed unanimously, with all honorees present or represented.
• The public hearing for CDBG was held; no action taken. A future meeting will approve the Annual Action Plan (April 28, 2021).
• The $260,000 grant for restaurant/brewery/winery assistance (Item 14) was approved unanimously.
• The MOU for the small business center (Item 15) was approved unanimously.
• The Smart Corridor Expansion Project resolution (Item 17) was approved unanimously.
• Vice Mayor Nagales requested staff to provide occupancy rate data for new developments, citing that 93% of units at the Cadence project are rented.
• Councilmember Coleman requested that a rental registry be explored, and that teachers from the South San Francisco CTA be added to a future agenda to present a proclamation against anti-Asian racism.
• The meeting was adjourned in memory of multiple community members, including Raymond Julio Denardi, Romulo Singson Raval, Julio Circatini, Rose Baba, Rudy Bertolozzi, Enrico Agio, and Watson Halstead.