South San Francisco City Council Regular Meeting - December 14, 2022

The South San Francisco City Council held a regular hybrid in-person/virtual meeting on December 14, 2022, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included four presentations, public comments, approval of a consent calendar with two items pulled for discussion, several administrative business items, and council announcements.

Presentations

• Cultures United 2022 Recap (Maryjo Nuñez, Lead for America Fellow): The presentation covered quarterly events in 2022, including Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Pride Month, Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, Filipino American History Month, and United Against Hate Week. Activities included distributing over 40 long signs, a youth poet-in-residence program, a book club, and a community cookbook. Councilmembers praised the program for celebrating diversity and inclusivity.
• Promotores Program End-of-Year Update (Tamiko Huey, Management Analyst II; Marisol Duran, Promotora): The program, launched in March 2022, consists of three part-time promotores who provide case management and navigation support. Key statistics: 91% of clients prefer Spanish; over 1,600 hours of service; average client satisfaction 9.03/10; 73% of clients learned about a new program; 53% felt more confident seeking services. Top client needs: food (49%), health, housing. The program has partnered with the county to host an outreach unit at the Economic Advancement Center. Councilmembers expressed appreciation for the program, noting its impact on food insecurity and language barriers. Food insecurity was highlighted as a concern; Council discussed working with Second Harvest Food Bank for a permanent location.
• Age-Friendly Initiative Update (Roy Earnest, Associate Director, Center for Age Friendly Excellence - CAFÉ): The countywide initiative aims to make South San Francisco more livable for older adults. Currently, 17.5% of the city’s population is 65+. A task force has been formed, and focus groups (60 recruited, 40 met so far) are gathering community input on eight domains of livability. The process will culminate in an application to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. Councilmember Flores emphasized the need for diverse representation on the task force, including residents from senior living complexes. Examples from other cities: affordable taxi rides, pedestrian safety campaigns, intergenerational programs.
• Jordanian American Association Presentation (Paul Formosa, CFO South San Francisco Scavenger Co.): The association, headquartered in South San Francisco for 25 years, celebrated its 38th anniversary at a gala with 330+ attendees. The city received a plaque of appreciation for being the host city. The association awarded three $1,500 scholarships to high school students.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar included items 5 through 20, 22, and 24. Items 22 (donation of a surplus fire engine) and 24 (shuttle operations agreement) were pulled for discussion. All other items were approved unanimously by roll call vote (Councilmembers Addiego, Coleman, Flores, Vice Mayor Nagales, Mayor Nicholas all ayes). Key consent items included: approval of minutes, acceptance of construction improvements, continued remote meeting resolution, multiple grant acceptances, budget amendments, a building code ordinance, wage schedule amendment, and various agreements.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Maris Ota (President, HIP Housing): Presented the HIP Housing 2023 calendar with artwork from 12 young artists, including South San Francisco resident Taryn Lim (age 5). Expressed gratitude for the city’s support in creating affordable housing solutions.
• Isabel (via Zoom): Spoke about the Cove Marina closure. Residents were temporarily relocated to Oyster Point with a deadline of April 1, 2023, but the city clarified the deadline is flexible until August if residents demonstrate efforts. Isabel expressed frustration over lack of permanent housing options, especially for seniors. The City Manager promised to reach out individually.
• Jeremy Lee (via Zoom): Commended the council for their compassion and focus on equity, and expressed appreciation for involving his niece, Taryn, in civic engagement.

Discussion Items

• Item 22 – Donation of Surplus Fire Engine: Council authorized donating a 1999 Spartan fire engine to City College of San Francisco’s Fire Science program. Councilmember Addiego requested a future report on surplus equipment for potential donation to sister city Atotonilco.
• Item 24 – Shuttle Operations Agreement: Approved a $350,000 agreement with ACE Mobility Solutions for community shuttle operations, replacing Parking Company of America. The new contractor will move toward a zero-emission fleet. Staff confirmed plans to expand service to Westborough and other neighborhoods pending TA funding. Councilmember Addiego suggested exploring an east-west route to complement the current north-south route.
• Item 21 – Eden Housing Senior Affordable Housing: Approved a one-year extension to the purchase and sale agreement for 201 Baden Avenue. Eden Housing plans to build 80+ affordable senior units on a combined parcel, but acquisition of the adjacent KFC/Taco Bell site (owned by a retiree via lease) has been delayed. If the site cannot be acquired, a smaller 50-unit project on the city-owned parcel may proceed. Council expressed disappointment but supported the extension; funding from the state Local Housing Trust Fund is secure until 2027.
• Item 23 – AB 1705 Ambulance Funding: Approved a $436,964.50 budget amendment to participate in the Public Provider Ground Emergency Medical Transport Intergovernmental Transfer program. This program increases Medi-Cal reimbursement for ambulance transports, offsetting costs to local taxpayers. The city will match state funds; potential net gain of $965,000 annually.
• Item 25 – Facility Signage for Library | Parks & Recreation Building: Council selected option 1C (“Library Parks & Recreation”) with modifications: smaller ampersand, better centering of “Parks,” and a different ampersand style. Staff will present a refined version via Thursday memo; if no objections, proceed without further council review.
• Item 26 – Appointment of Interim City Manager: Resolution approved appointing Assistant City Manager Sharon Ranals as Interim City Manager and Interim Executive Director of the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency, effective December 24, 2022, through January 8, 2023, and then officially as interim. Councilmember Addiego suggested exploring a full city manager designation rather than “interim”; the ad hoc committee (Mayor Nicholas and Councilmember Flores) will negotiate terms and report back on January 11, 2023.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar approved unanimously (all items except 22 and 24 were consent; those two pulled but also approved after discussion).
• Item 22: Approved donation of fire engine to CCSF (unanimous).
• Item 24: Approved shuttle contract with ACE Mobility Solutions (unanimous).
• Item 21: Approved first amendment to sale agreement with Eden Housing (unanimous).
• Item 23: Approved budget amendment for AB 1705 program (unanimous).
• Item 25: Approved signage design with staff to refine and report via Thursday memo (unanimous).
• Item 26: Approved appointment of Sharon Ranals as Interim City Manager with ad hoc committee to negotiate terms (unanimous).
• Council Announcements: Councilmembers reported on attendance at various community events (sister city visit to Atotonilco, Pasig Fiesta, Santa Comes to Town, tree lighting, Fun Run, Council reorganization). Councilmember Flores requested a COVID vaccination event in South San Francisco. City Attorney Sky Woodruff provided an update on upcoming changes to remote meeting laws (AB 361 expiration likely end of February 2023).

The meeting adjourned to a special meeting of the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency.